Cubans ask for luck on bumpy streets

Cubans ask for luck on bumpy streets

The pilgrims crawled forward, some dragged themselves over the rough floor with their hands, knees and elbows, wounded and full of pain

The procession in honor of St. Lazarus

The procession in honor of St. Lazarus is one of the greatest religious celebrations in the officially secular Cuba and is also one of the most colorful. To show her belief, thousands of Cuban barefoot go several kilometers to the small church of El Rincón, on the outskirts of Havana, on December 17, the day on which the saint is celebrated.

tradition and devotion

"It was a tradition of my father, and I have been following her for 27 years since he died. Lazarus granted me what I ask," said the pilgrim Fernando Valdez, after being on the road for more than five hours on broken roads.

The meaning of the holy lazarus

In the New Testament, Lazarus was brought back to life four days after his death and is considered the patron saint of the poor and sick. Many Cubans who want something with the saint wear clothes made of coarse sacks to symbolize poverty.

extreme forms of devotion

Some believers go on and crawl on their stomach or go backwards, sometimes with cement blocks on their feet to slow down. Bloody stains adorn the soil, while paramedics of the Red Cross put together associations on drained knees and hands.

The development of faith in Cuba

public expression of expression of faith have gradually developed in Cuba in recent years. In 1992 the constitution was amended to override a secular country from an officially atheistic state. A pioneering visit by Pope John Paul II. Six years later, also contributed to the restoration of the rights for believing people.

The complexity of the Cuban faith

The complexity Kubas also became clear because many of the pilgrims of the Santería are, a faith that emerged from the Yoruba religion and was brought to Cuba by African slaves more than 200 years ago. These slaves were forced to convert to Christianity, and mixed the two faiths into a syncretistic religion that spread across the island and the Caribbean area.

The challenges of the Catholic Church

The growth of the Santería is presenting the Catholic Church in Cuba in front of a dilemma because it does not recognize this religion, but, in the face of often empty church benches, cannot afford to reject its followers. At an open-air fair in El Rincón, Catholic priests informed the Santería supporters that they were welcome, but the priests should not ask for the blessing of their pearls and idols.

The economic concerns of the pilgrims

Many pilgrims expressed concern about the deteriorating economic situation of Cuba and paid great attention to the change in the political change of the then US government under President Barack Obama, which was announced exactly ten years ago. Many supporters of St. Lazarus saw this announcement on the holiday of their god as a happy coincidence. While the two once hostile nations restored diplomatic relationships, Kuba experienced a tourism " Economic situation of the island improved.

During his first term, President Donald Trump, a critic of Obama's alleged appeasement policy towards Cuba, turned back many of these openings. Many Cubans fear that Trump's second term - paired with the unwilling attitude of her own government towards significant economic reforms - could conjure up the worst crisis in her life. In 2024, Kuba suffered from National power outages hiked from the island and the social security net that was once provided by the government threatened to dry up.

faith as a ray of hope

But while he was resting from his pilgrimage, Valdez was convinced that Saint Lazarus would also lead him through the coming difficult times. "To live, people need a reason. Something that gives them light, and for me it is my belief. Otherwise you die," he said.