Persecution Outlook: Cuba

For tourists, Cuba is paradise, but the majority of its 11.5 million citizens live in poverty and have few, if any, prospects. One sister says, “Most Cuban families cannot afford what is necessary for dignified life,” and the Church must work on behalf of those in need, as the Cuban government continually fails to. Sisters, for example, provide both practical and spiritual aid to the poor, as well as people with mental health and substance abuse problems. And they perform these services in a country that restricts Church activity: in Cuba, religious leaders and activists face arrest and harassment, and churches face penalties and closure.