While hundreds of democracy activists were being violently being beaten, dragged and arrested throughout Cuba, the Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, celebrated a Mass in Havana for 300 Cuban-Americans that paid over $3,000 per person for a VIP tour.
But it wasn't the visual of the Archbishop with his VIP contingent that was the most troubling -- though it's worthy of the worst of stereotypes that have plagued Catholic hierarchies in Latin America for decades.
It was his political theory.
Archbishop Wenski lobbied for the luxury of patience and a "soft-landing" in Cuba -- as if 53 years of a brutal dictatorship were somehow insufficient time.
Ironically, Wenski preached this political model during a homily, which the Church had previously argued was purely for pastoral purposes; and thus, its "inability" to meet and support defenseless dissidents.
(Correction: Since writing this post, the Vatican has clarified that it didn't meet with dissidents out of respect for their tyrannical hosts).
So much for that excuse.
Bewilderingly, for people that claim to be "in-tune" with the reality of regular Cubans on the island, these comments are remarkably out of touch.
Any Cuban on the street will tell you that they want immediate political and economic change -- particularly if they feel safe enough to tell you the truth.
As a matter of fact, recent polling data suggests that well over 80% of Cubans desire immediate political and economic change.
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