Church in Cuba questions government’s promotion of homosexuality on the island

Havana, Cuba, Jun 26, 2008 / 13:13 pm

The Archdiocese of Havana’s magazine, Palabra Nueva, has published an article questioning the Cuban government’s promotion of homosexuality through norms that allow the changing of one’s identity, sex-change operations and the eventual legalization of homosexual unions.

The latest addition of the magazine features a column by Cardinal Jaime Ortega of Havana in which he applauds “the efforts to humanize social life” in Cuba by condemning homophobia.  At the same time, however, he questions the campaigns influenced by the “liberal ideologies” of “first world countries” that go “beyond combating the rejection or ill-treatment of homosexual persons” and exalt individual freedom to “unacceptable levels” thus promoting the mentality that “anything goes.”

“I know it is difficult to limit the influence of these centers of power.  Cuba has done so and is doing so in other areas, but in this area many of the faithful of our communities have been surprised and displeased, and they asked the Church to make a statement about the likely legal recognition of homosexual unions, the eventual adoption of children by these couples or the guidance given to parents and even to pre-teens and teens about sexual preference freely chosen by each girl or boy,” the cardinal warned.

In the same edition, Palabra Nueva editor Orlando Marquez wrote in his column about the uproar caused by two recent state-sanctioned events that promote homosexuality: the broadcast of the film Brokeback Mountain on state-run television and the promulgation of a norm by the Ministry of Public Health that authorizes sex-change operations for individuals diagnosed as transsexuals.

Various reports indicate the campaign in support of homosexuality is being led by sexologist Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raul Castro and director of the National Center of Sexual Education.