Increasing pressure on the church in Cuba

Following public protests last month in Cuba, security officials arrested hundreds of Christian activists. The Cuban government is now putting more pressure on Christian activists, and the government is trying to gain more control over the Christian community by restricting the activities of churches and Christian activists.

 In the wake of the violent crackdown on anti-communist protests, the government has tightened its grip on the church, returning the country to the list of world watchdogs.

Although Cuba has avoided the watch list for more than a decade, it is now considered the 37th most dangerous country for Christianity.

A Cuban pastor who worked with the Christian charity Open Doors described the situation in an interview with the organization: "Many priests took to the streets and protested, and these priests were arrested. They are in prison. We do not only have problems with the laws, but also with the ideology of the system. We are really living in a tense moment in Cuban history. "The government now wants to close the churches, and all this is a way to stop the church's vision and mission."

Many detainees are still awaiting trial during the protests. An arrested priest appeared in court shortly before Christmas on charges of "disrespecting the law", "violating public law", "committing a criminal act against the people" and "public disorder". He will be sentenced to at least ten years in prison on these charges.

Despite returning to the Open Doors list, researchers found that last year's trials evoked a sense of unity and reconstruction in the Christian community among believers. This crisis has made Christians in Cuba feel the need for more unity to lead Cuba to a free society.

 

_{Source and Credit: CP, CN}