The Pope's Visit to Cuba

 

These last few weeks, I have been praying for Cubans and reflecting on the Pope Benedicts XVI’s pilgrimage to Mexico and Cuba. As a Cuban, I was particularly interested in his visit to Cuba. As a Catholic, I was hopeful on how his journey would impact those with no faith at all.

It was hard not to fantasize how the Pope would humiliate the Castro regime. I wanted him to go into the communist country and spit on Castro’s face, and then go meet directly with those courageous Catholic and non Catholic dissidents and human rights activists who were detained and not allowed to be present in any of the Pope’s activities. That and much more, I must confess, I imagined that he and his delegation would have done.

  As I prayerfully reflected on his visit to Havana, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus Christ’s attitude and behavior towards the sinners of his time. Who were the sinners of his time? They were the tax collectors and the pagans.

The pagans were people who denied any existence of God (much like communists today in Cuba). They were sinful, disreputable, and enemies of the Children of Israel.

However, worse than being a pagan was being a "tax collector". The tax collectors were Jews that collected tax for the Roman government. The Romans were an occupying oppressor and anyone working for them was not just a tax collector but they were also traitors and guilty of complicity with the Romans to steal or extort money from their countrymen. These tax collectors caused much suffering to their own people, often they would  use physical force to steal from their own family and countrymen. (Here I could equate the tax collector with some of those who represent the Catholic Church in Cuba, whom many accuse of being “sell-outs” to the Castro’s communist regime).

I think of how Jesus went out of his way to meet these people (the pagans and tax collectors). Scriptures tells us that he ate with them and went to their parties in their homes. Jesus invited them to his teaching events. Jesus even used a pagan as an example of great faith and on Good Friday, as he hung on a cross Jesus forgave a pagan's sins and sent him to paradise. I wondered how some of his followers reacted to this, when they would see Jesus literally being friendly towards the worst kind of sinner that there could be and forgiving them of their sins? 

  The challenge for me during this recent trip of the Pope to Cuba was  that I need to remind myself that the Church is not just to be “Christ” to those who believe and are fighting for justice, but ALSO to those who reject a living, merciful and loving God.

  The Pope may not have had the agenda that I would have wanted.  Now I hear many lament this same sentiment and some now try to tarnish his image; which is as a presence of Christian hope and mercy to all Cubans (and all people everywhere) and points to repentance and deliverance. But this is not new, I pick up my bible and I read how in Jesus’ time there were those who tried to destroy Jesus’ image because of the same thing they accuse the Catholic Church and the Pope.

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”  Matt 11: 16-19

So what do I make of the Pope’s trip to Cuba? I think that our great God being holy hates sin. I need to embrace Jesus as Savior of our sin, mine as well as yours and his and hers.....all sin. As I try to put it all in perspective I realize that it is an overwhelming amount of love God is pouring out on ALL of us even now. I believe in a merciful God who has changed my life and made ME a new creation then I must also accept that HIS mercy is to be demonstrated in all instances to all kinds of people. This is what my Pope and my Church taught me this week. He has challenged me to this kind of faith: to go and eat with the most sinful and show them God's love.  (Definitely, not what the world tells me is right) That is what I hold onto, even when it is hard to accept. Again I pick up my Bible and I am challenged by this scripture verse, which doesn’t make sense unless I truly strive to have this kind of faith.

“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Lk 6: 31-36 

It bears repeating: Be merciful as God is merciful.  Not easy; its a crazy kind of love, one the world cannot understand if not seen through the eyes of Christ.