By Daniel Nardini

The Roman Catholic Church in Cuba, once hounded and persecuted by the Communist Party of Cuba, has been making a major comeback in a country beset by food shortages, electricity shortages, and also shortages in medicine. The Communist authorities are truly failing the people in just about every way. Despite the American blockade of Cuba (and yes, this time it can be called a blockade), American law does provide humanitarian aid to go to Cuba. This aid is going through non-government agencies, and yes a lot of it is going through the Roman Catholic Church in Cuba. Aid like medicine and food is being given to Cubans free through the Church. The state stores stand empty and the clinics and hospitals are almost bare, but fortunately the Church can provide some of the basic necessities the Cuban government cannot increasingly do.

One example is the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem in Havana which has helped as many as 300 people with medicines and food. Even with the help the Church is able to provide, sometimes they cannot provide everyone. Most Cubans at times have to go without food and medicine for a day. Those Cubans who receive help from the Church put their now worthless Cuban peso notes into the collection boxes as a sign of appreciation for what the Church is doing. Most of those who seek help from the Church are single elderly people whose families are either far away or unable to help them. The Church helps all those it can, but gives priority to the truly needy. And with the problems the island is suffering now, the number of needy has grown exponentially. However bad the situation may be, the Church is doing what it can to help Cubans in their hour of need. If there is one positive thing that can be said, and that is the Church is again playing a major part in the lives of the Cuban people.