Cuban Youth Speak Out

TIA,

Please print this notice written by Armando Valladares, a former political prisoner in the prison-island of Cuba.

The courage of the youth who make this complaint against the Cuban Catholic Church and Cardinal Ortega, long favored at the Vatican, is amazing.

With all the conciliar Popes’ talk about human rights, favoring the oppressed, etc, why is so little said or done about the oppressed Catholics of Cuba who have been suffering more than half a century under a communist regime that persecutes the liberty of the people to practice the Catholic Faith? Why did Benedict and John Paul II go to Cuba to embrace the Castro dictators and give implicit approval to Cardinal Ortega, who, smilingly collaborates with the Communist State? All indications are that Pope Francis is following the same line.

May this shameful silence from the Vatican and collaboration of the Cuban Episcopate end soon! Justice demands it. The rights of the Catholic Faith, the one True Religion, demand it.

     F.G., Americas Alert



Cuban Youth Appeal to Francis to Stop
Card. Ortega’s Collaboration with Communism

Armando Valladares

Five Cuban Catholic youth, in a letter delivered to the Pope Francis, complain about the regime’s collaboration with some of the bishops of the island prison, "whose helmsman has been, for decades, Cardinal Ortega."

The youth assert that "we know from the inside the reality of the Church in Cuba. We know that what is established in the halls of the Apostolic Palace of Havana" with the "seal of the illustrious cardinal who inhabits it" is a "confused" policy, "the worst diplomacy" that "sacrifices the plain and unvarnished truth" and "is tied to the same fears, pressures, blackmail, and tacit or explicit commitments and covenants" with the communist State.

The youth signing the letter expressed "pain and concern" regarding the Church policy that has "the common denominator of legitimizing the government" and that ignores “daily violations of human rights and the repressive, despotic and arbitrary actions of state security against the peaceful opposition."

The letter defines Communist Cuba as "a devastated country" with a "society of masks and pretense," whose guiding principle is "fear and lies." And it points to the fact that after "fifty years of being oppressed psychologically and physically," the identity of Cuban Catholics" is diluted and dissolved in a pseudo-religion of the masses" and is even "in danger of being wiped out. "

This historic document deserves the widest diffusion. The concern of youth who signed the letter to Francis encourages and strengthens the faith of many Cubans who for years have expressed criticism at the collaboration of Cardinal Ortega and the Cuban bishops with the Communist State.

The full text of the letter can be read at this link

Contact Armando Valladares at armandovalladares2012@gmail.com

TIA,

If you need to relax a little, set aside five minutes, turn the sound up, use the largest screen possible and click here.

It is a video from National Geographic worth your time.

     Keep up the good work.

     M.E.

TIA,

In France, the feast of Saint Fiacre is August 30. It's following a line from Brittany (Bretagne) to the east of the country, coming to Belgium and the north-west of Germany, following in France a line down to Dijon (Burgundy). It is not known or celebrated elsewhere in France.

If August 30 falls on a working day, the Mass will be celebrated on the following Sunday. One can certainly say that Saint Fiacre is not only the patron saint of individual gardeners but also of market gardeners, orchard gardeners and landscape designers.

Of course, very sadly, there are only few survivals of this ancient practice.

E.R., France

Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!



TIA responds:

E.R.,

Thank you for your information.

Actually the feast day of St. Fiacre is a topic of dispute; several other days also are claimed as correct. This controversy is mentioned in this article.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

This is a difficult topic to discuss, especially for a man.

Perhaps it would be received by the public more positively if a woman would pen an article about it, if you believe it is appropriate.

After seeing a news report about a woman suing a restaurant for being told to stop changing her baby’s diaper on the table of that restaurant, it made me think about this oddity even more closely.

I do not remember this happening when I was younger although it certainly could have. Why do young mothers think it is okay to place their baby in full view of whoever is present eating there and change the baby's diapers right on the living room carpet or close by.

Although the child is unaware of being stripped down and wiped off, shouldn't the mother supply the dignity for the child by doing this task privately?

I find it uncomfortable to be present during this ‘personal’ necessity and don’t understand why I’m the only one who mentions it.

It happens in my own family and there are already enough ‘generational’ disagreements going on without adding to the list.

I would appreciate an article by you on this topic.

Do I have a point or do you think I’m overly sensitive ?

     R.S.

Dear Marian,

Re: The Tired Argument against Aristocracy

Hello. I hope you are doing well.

I don’t see one good thing coming from the heresy of modernism especially pertaining to clothing. I have long required my children to wear a uniform in our homeschool situations. We also participate in Classical Conversations home school co-op and there also they must wear the uniform. Sadly they are the only ones to wear one and I thought our example might inspire others, but to no avail.

Yet, I am hoping to propagate your article and persuade others to take another look at the benefits of children being in uniform.

Thank you for all of the wonderful articles you write that help us to live good Catholic lives especially this most recent article on school uniforms. I’ll keep you posted if there is any positive response at our home school co-op as a result of this information.

God bless you.

     In Maria,

     S.G.