Cuba Keeps Large House Church Closed
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – Cuba’s communist authorities refuse to allow a large “house church” to reopen for worship despite easing COVID pandemic restrictions for approved churches, activists say.
The Cuban government reportedly pledged that churches could begin meeting again in person on Sunday, October 10.
“However, two days before the restrictions were scheduled to be lifted, a house church led by Amparo Gallo received word that they would not be allowed to meet. The house church, located in the city of Santa Clara, presently has approximately 1,000 members,” said advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM).
The group, which supports the church, said the move underscored that “particularly unregistered churches are frequently faced with restrictions instated by the government.”
Many Christians meet in so-called house churches held in homes of believers or other buildings outside state-approved churches that work closely with authorities.
Christians urged prayers for Amparo and other church leaders in Cuba and the government to lift what they call “unnecessary restrictions” against Christians on the island nation.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel has come under pressure to increase religious and political freedoms as part of ongoing reforms.
Diaz-Canel became president in April 2018 in a move ending six decades of rule by the Castro family. He has promised to maintain the island’s one-party communist system that limits the freedoms of devoted Christians.
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