Former Minister of Education and retired Member of Parliament, Ambassador Burchell Whiteman is predicting that there will be better and brighter days ahead for the Church in Cuba, and the Church in the wider Caribbean to improve their relationship.

Ambassador Whiteman was delivering the main address at the annual Lewin Williams Lecture held at the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) last week.

With the focus of this year’s lecture being ‘The Caribbean Church and the Cuban Revolution’, Ambassador Whiteman told the audience made up mainly of students and past students of the UTCWI, pastors of various churches, friends and family of the late Lewin Williams, among others, that despite some knowledge limitations on the subject he felt compelled to give his position on the issue.

“You will be generous enough to recognise that I am neither a student of the exciting history and current developments of the Caribbean Church nor an expert on Cuba and its colourful history,” said Ambassador Whiteman, who served as Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

“So I come to this podium with a certain amount of unease,” he said in his opening remarks. “I was recently reminded of a distinguished Caribbean legal luminary and political leader who before addressing the student body of a college in Jamaica, informed his audience that his clarity of expression was derived from the recency of his knowledge. So without possessing his eminence, I admit to having done some very recent research…the quality of which I cannot vouch for.

“As I am sure you would expect, I have chosen to regard the Cuban Revolution not as a single event which took place in 1959 but as a process which continues to evolve. I have also assumed that with the Caribbean Church having a dynamic of its own, there is an interface between itself and Cuban development — historical and potential — which is worthy of our attention as Caribbean people and as children of God.

“Let us recall some facts about the history of Cuba which may have a bearing on where Cuba stands today and which may also give us an insight into where she may be in the future. Cuba shares elements of her history with the rest of the Caribbean. Like territories in the region, Cuba was colonised by a European power, as Jamaica was by the Spanish and the English, Curacao by the Dutch and Haiti by the French. Portugal passed us by, choosing instead the large continental prize of Brazil.

“The European pattern of colonisation affected us all. Significant numbers of persons from different parts of the African continent were brought to our shores against their will and endured centuries of dehumanising oppression and abuse. They brought their cultural and religious traditions with them and while these intangible but important elements of their lives were modified, they were never completely destroyed. African retentions continue to play an important part in the religious and cultural life of the people in our Caribbean region,” Ambassador Whiteman said.

The respected educator said that of importance to the people of the Caribbean lies the connection between Europe and the American continent. Regarding the Caribbean and the Caribbean church Ambassador Whiteman said there was particular significance between the European connection with North America.

“I have chosen firstly to look at the decade of the 1950s and to seek to identify important — if not defining — features of the Caribbean church and the Cuban nation in that period and to track parallel, diverse or intersecting paths which take us to the present time. While the Caribbean Conference of Churches did not formally come into being until 1973, for decades prior there had been meaningful dialogue at the denominational level between countries in the region. In fact, throughout the 20th century, there was dialogue, there were leadership exchanges and a fair amount of cross-border communication within the region, including the Americas.

“Our island people were inevitably aware of the world beyond our shores and had a tendency to look outward. Within the churches, the same tendency existed. We could cite worthies like Lackland Augustus Lennon who was a Jamaican missionary to West Africa and Ephraim Alphonse who became a household name in parts of Central America, or Enos Nuttall who lectured the Southern Episcopalians in the USA about the dangers of sidelining the emerging Black/African American leaders in their churches. So that even before the existence of a formal Caribbean Church Organisation, leadership in our churches were very much aware of and involved in extending the work of the church beyond its individual national insular boundaries. It is important to recognise that leaders were not content only to receive from their parent bodies in Europe but to give and support in situations of need,” Ambassador Whiteman said.

Arguing that Cuba was “unsettled” during the decade of the 1950s, Whiteman described the period as one in which right wing dictator Fulgencia Batista tried to strengthen his hold on leadership in the country, despite his waning popularity, after over a decade of rule.

The Government of the United States, Whiteman suggested, was happy with the situation at the time, as it suited their agenda of allowing American-based businesses in Cuba to prosper, despite rising poverty.

“It is one of the ironies of Cuban history that the unpredictable Batista who had earlier allowed the formation of political parties was now seen as an enemy of the people. Another irony is that having successfully defeated an opposing faction led by Fidel Castro in 1953, he felt so assured of his position that in 1955, he set the imprisoned Fidel free, who in the following year then led a successful revolt welcomed and supported by the dispossessed Cuban poor.

“It is worth noting that Castro’s success in pursuing a campaign in support of the disenchanted populace was achieved by providing practical support to the needy and educating them about the reasons for the disparity of income and opportunity between the exploiters, local and foreign and the ordinary citizens. CN Trueman contributing to the

History learning site described the situation as a victory achieved by winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the Cuban people.

“By the beginning, then, of the decade of the 1960s, Cuba was poised for a major political transformation, projected to improve the conditions of the broad masses of the Cuban population. It is interesting to note two different accounts of Fidel Castro’s early interface with the US establishment. One Cuban source reports that Fidel waited in Washington to have a meeting at the White House and was rebuffed. To that snub was attributed his decision to embrace the then USSR, and his full acceptance of the Communist ideology for the Cuban state. Another, a Western source informs that on April 15 1959, Castro began an 11-day visit to the USA at the invitation of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and said during his visit: ‘I know the world thinks of us, we are communists, and of course I have said very clear that we are not communists, very clear.’

“But back to the Caribbean Church in the decade of the 1950s.

“At that time in the Caribbean Church, to the extent that one could define it in terms of its regional dialogue and the mission of individual denominations, there was a heightening of its focus on development issues which affected secular society as well as an indigenous theology and religious practice. Without hard evidence, I am prepared to say that as a Caribbean people, our church leaders would be disposed to initiate and support action which affected the total development of the people in our region and beyond. The history of the Lennons and Alphonses, and the presence of a Philip Potter, already a rising star at the World Council of Churches in Geneva, could not have them be otherwise inclined.

“The short-lived West Indies Federation and the subsequent focus on political independence of the individual territories may well have inspired an awakening within the churches. Certainly, by the end of the following decade, the establishment of CADEC in 1969, the Christian Agency for Development of the Eastern Caribbean, had paved the way for the Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) which was launched in 1973,” Whiteman said.

The retired diplomat said that the early years of the Castro regime highlighted the Caribbean and placed it on the political “world map”.

He said that the coming of the missile crisis of 1962 brought the region near to a nuclear disaster.

“As we look for possible points of intersection between the Caribbean Church and the Revolution in Cuba, we remind ourselves that the CCC is the regional body within the WCC, that it has a 34 strong membership, and that it includes six members from Cuba. Interestingly, while the regional Roman Catholic body the Antilles Episcopal Conference (largely of Archbishops and Bishops) participates fully in the CCC, the Cuban Catholic community is not directly represented there. In addition, the Cuban membership of the CCC does not include the Santeria representatives whose traditions derive from the African continent which the African forced labour population brought with them. The Catholic Church in Cuba is nevertheless one of the longest established there and has had a somewhat chequered history in its relation with the state apparatus in that country.

“If we take a holistic view of the Caribbean Church, and do not restrict ourselves entirely to the formal institution of the CCC, we then must take note of the behaviour and the contribution of those who claim adherence to the beliefs and mission of the church as we know it and who happen to be physically located in the Caribbean region,” Whiteman said. Looking back at the Batista years in power, Whiteman noted that the Catholic Church was the dominant religious movement in Cuba.

He said that bishops and priests were chosen from the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Rome, and there was evidence that the leadership of the church supported or accommodated how the Cuban Government ran the Spanish-speaking country at the time.

“To some extent, in the pre-Castro years, this arrangement did not create much division within the church or apparently much dissatisfaction within the membership. Towards the end of the pre-Castro years, however, there was a growing tide of popular dissatisfaction with the income disparity, perceived American exploitation, and governmental corruption. Castro was able to exploit the situation and the people themselves became increasingly divided between acceptance of a conservative capitalist regime and the possibility of a more liberal and socialist way of thinking.

“By the time the 26th of July revolution took place, and Batista had fled, Castro was ready to provide a communist inspired solution to the social and economic problems of the mass of the population. The Church itself was divided. But — and this may be an oversimplification — Fidel left nothing to chance.

“A reliable source reports that ‘in 1961, the Cuban government nationalised all property held by religious organisations, including the dominant Roman Catholic Church. Hundreds of members of the church, including a bishop, were permanently expelled from the nation, as the new Cuban government declared itself officially atheist. Education also saw significant changes — private schools were banned and the progressively socialist state assumed greater responsibility for children.”’

“That same source goes on to also record that ‘During its first decade in power, the Castro government introduced a wide range of progressive social reforms. Laws were introduced to provide equality for black Cubans and greater rights for women, while there were attempts to improve communications, medical facilities, health, housing, and education. In addition, there were touring cinemas, art exhibitions, concerts, and theatres. By the end of the 1960s, all Cuban children were receiving some education (compared with less than half before 1959), unemployment and corruption were reduced, and great improvements were made in hygiene and sanitation.”

“I juxtapose both these developments as an illustration of the complexity of the Cuban situation. In that connection, it should also be noted that from the earliest period of the Fidel Castro administration, Bishops and other leaders in the Catholic Church made serious efforts to contribute to the national development agenda, proposing a so-called “third way” which was to be neither raw capitalist nor repressive communist but an enlightened liberal socialist path. Along those lines, the church would welcome all the social improvements in health and education while not being seen as hostile to the national interest by failing the litmus test of conversion to communism.

It may well be that while church membership and attendance declined significantly during the Fidel Castro years, there was something of “a righteous remnant” which kept the flame burning and kept faith and hope alive. The church could claim to have played a part in the 1992 decision by Fidel to remove the legal requirement which made avowed Catholics enemies of the State,” Whiteman suggested.

He said that there was criticism of the church on the point, as while Fidel Castro had strong support, he was encroaching on the church’s turf.

The remainder of Ambassador Whiteman’s presentation:

“The Revolution started doing what the churches had never (or barely ever) done: social welfare in the poorest areas. Fidel was always conscious of his early life as a Catholic. Whether it was reflected in his setting up Christianity as antithetical to communism or positioning the communist ideal as equity and justice for the poor and therefore the true expression of Christianity, the church was always a factor in Fidel’s life, personally and politically. Many Catholics now see his meeting with Pope Benedict as a turning point for the country, even if it was not recognised at the time.

“On the other hand, there is the more widely accepted western view that any change of direction or intensity in relation to the preservation of the original firm communist line was due to the end of the Cold War and the decline of Russian economic support. It is also the case, however, that the investment in education and health would have earned the regime international respect and provided the country with important earning capacity.

“In assessing the Fidel Castro era, a modern UK minister whose church described as “for those who don’t go to church” laments the weakness of the Cuban church under Castro. He pointedly asks: “Where were the Daniels in Cuba? No doubt there have been thousands, yet as single lone voices, they have failed to have an impact wider than those around them. Imagine what could have been done if they had been Daniels with the institutional support and encouragement of their church!”

“That seems to me to be the pointer to a possible new connection between the Caribbean Church and Cuba in its Raul Castro-era and beyond. Institutional support and encouragement. We often say — and truthfully — that one person can make a difference. But in certain situations, there is need for a collective voice, an organisation with the will, the vision and the means, to do what the lone and separate individuals crying in the wilderness cannot effectively do.

“The “institutional support” in a national and more broadly human and spiritual cause can indeed come from the Caribbean Church. In this the first decade of the Raoul Castro regime, the Caribbean Church and particularly the Cuban Catholic community must be encouraged by the historic visit of Pope Francis to Havana and by the warmth of the reception from the Cuban people as well as its President.

“The Caribbean Church must also welcome the rapprochement between the government of the United States of America and Cuba, appreciating, I am sure, the extraordinary convergence of the decisions by a former humble priest from South America named Francis on his election to the papacy and a courageous and principled American President Barack Obama of mixed parentage — like many Cubans — who each contributed to a new relationship across the 90 miles and the 56 years of history which had kept them apart. Some of us believe that those decisions were divinely inspired, and in this gathering I would not use the words “divine intervention” lightly or cynically.

“So now, it seems to me, the Caribbean Church, in any and all of its configurations, has an opportunity and a duty to engage with confidence in the next phase of the Cuban Revolution.

“The Caribbean Church is blessed with a vitality derived from its own history in which it has indigenised its leadership, its forms of worship and its broader social mission. It has drawn insights and strength from the diversity of its members.

“The CCC in its roughly four and a half decades of existence has earned respect as the regional body of the World Council of Churches and is able to interface effectively with national governments and international organisations.

“While it would continue to respect the context and traditions of the Cuban church, it could help to influence greater internal collaboration between the members of the Cuban religious entities.

“It is a development organisation, with the capacity not only to lobby but to provide — directly or indirectly — development assistance within its region.

“Despite the risks, it is able to speak truth to power, and to be the voice of the voiceless and the support for the vulnerable.

“Above all, in keeping faith with the denominations and congregations which it represents, it is constantly seeking and finding ways to advance the spiritual growth of believers and empower them in their own spiritual journey which is at the heart of the Christian experience.

“Statistics record a major decline in the number of Cubans professing church membership between 1959 and 1976. But revival is possible and a Cuban church emboldened by the institutional support of the regional body can experience a revival.

“The Cuban Revolution is a present reality. Despite President Raul’s reported response to Pope Francis, the regime remains on the revolutionary path and the democratic governance arrangements which broadly apply throughout the rest of the Caribbean will not be found in Cuba anytime soon.

“However, as the reforms and changes continue to take place within the country and internationally, the Church in Cuba and the Church in the wider Caribbean can look forward to a brighter future in which — as they work together — structural social divisions are reduced, religious freedom is not merely granted but claimed and exercised, and the minds and hearts of the Cuban people are more and more iillumined by the certainty that “life is more than meat and the body more than raiment.

“It must remain our hope that together as Caribbean people we will one day enjoy that life more abundant which is the hope of our Church and the fulfilment of its mission.

“As the reforms and changes continue to take place within the country and internationally, the Church in Cuba and the Church in the wider Caribbean can look forward to a brighter future in which – as they work together — structural social divisions are reduced, religious freedom is not merely granted but claimed and exercised, and the minds and hearts of the Cuban people are more and more iillumined by the certainty that life is more than meat and the body more than raiment.”