{{short description|none}} {{Catholic Church by country}} The '''Catholic Church in Cuba''' is part of the worldwide [[Catholic Church]], under the spiritual leadership of the [[Pope]] in [[Rome]]. Catholics make up approximately half of the population of Cuba.<ref>Latinobarometro, Opinion Publica Latinoamericana, Enero 2018.</ref>
==History== {{main|History of the Catholic Church in Cuba}} {{self-published|section|date=April 2026}} Catholicism has historically been the majority religion since Cuba's colonization. However, Communist Cuba is no exception to the ideological clash between [[Communism]] and [[religion]] that was common in communist countries. After [[Fidel Castro]]'s [[Cuban Revolution|ascent to power]] in 1959, he imposed restrictions on religious activities such as Christmas celebrations, and in 1962 barred personnel of the Church from joining the [[Communist Party of Cuba]] - following a communist tradition of [[Marxist-Leninist atheism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=43993 |title=Pilgrim Pope: Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Cuba, Perhaps Mexico in 2012 |date=11 December 2011 |publisher=Catholics Online |access-date=12 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206025423/http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=43993 |archive-date=6 February 2012 }}</ref> However, Castro's efforts were not as successful as in traditionally [[communist countries]] such as the [[Religion in the USSR|USSR]] or [[Religion in China|China]].
When the [[Cold War]] ended, such restrictions were lifted and the atheist guidelines outlined in the Cuban Constitution were removed. Catholics have been able openly join the Party since 1990. In 1998 Pope [[John Paul II]] made an official visit to Cuba and met Fidel Castro in person. Castro honored the Pope publicly. [[Pope Benedict XVI]] visited in 2012, meeting both Fidel and [[First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba]] [[Raúl Castro]], as did [[Pope Francis]] in 2015. Raúl Castro was so moved by Pope Francis’s visit and speeches that he said “If the Pope continues to speak like this, sooner or later I will start praying again and I will return to the Catholic Church – and I’m not saying this jokingly.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Eliott C. |date=2015-05-10 |title=Raul Castro may join Catholic Church, he says after Pope Francis meeting |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/10/europe/italy-raul-castro-pope-francis-meeting/index.html |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
==Current status== The Catholic Church body in Cuba is governed by the Cuban Bishops Conference. There are over six million Catholics - around 60.5% of the total population.<ref>[https://www.usccb.org/offices/general-secretariat/catholic-church-cuba US Conference of Catholic Bishops website, ''The Catholic Church in Cuba'', retrieved 2024-01-05]</ref> The country is divided into three [[archdiocese]]s<ref>[https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/cuba-catholic-church Encyclopedia.com website, ''Cuba, the Catholic Church in'']</ref> and eleven [[diocese]]s.
The Catholic Church in Cuba has taken on a more politically active role than in many other countries. It claims to have engaged in discussion with the government on issues such as political prisoners and free market reforms.
Catholics in Cuba have greater religious freedom than those in other [[Communist countries]] such as [[Catholic Church in China|China]], [[Catholic Church in Laos|Laos]], [[Catholic Church in North Korea|North Korea]], and [[Catholic Church in Vietnam|Vietnam]].<ref>[https://freedomhouse.org/country/cuba/freedom-world/2023 Freedom House website, 2023 report on Cuba]</ref><ref>[https://freedomhouse.org/country/china/freedom-world/2023 Freedom House website, 2023 report on China]</ref>
==2025 Jubilee== Following a meeting between [[Pope Francis]] and [[First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba]] [[Miguel Díaz-Canel]] in August 2022, Cuba released more than 500 prisoners from their sentences to honor the Catholic Church's [[2025 Jubilee]] Year. According to Díaz-Canel, in his statement accompanying the prisoner release, Cuba maintains “a respectful, frank, and constructive relationship with the Vatican and the Supreme Pontiff, which facilitates decisions such as the one recently taken.”<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-01/cuba-to-release-prisoners-in-the-spirit-of-the-jubilee.html | title=Cuba to release prisoners 'in the spirit of the Jubilee' - Vatican News | date=15 January 2025 }}</ref>
==Structure== * [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana|Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pinar del Río|Diocese of Pinar del Río]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Matanzas|Diocese of Matanzas]] * [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Camagüey|Archdiocese of Camagüey]] ** [[Diocese of Ciego de Avila]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cienfuegos|Diocese of Cienfuegos]] ** [[Diocese of Santa Clara]] * [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba|Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa|Diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Holguín|Diocese of Holguín]] ** [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Santísimo Salvador de Bayamo y Manzanillo|Diocese of Santísimo Salvador de Bayamo y Manzanillo]]
==See also== {{portal bar|Catholicism|History|Cuba}} * [[Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba]] * [[List of Central American and Caribbean Saints]] * [[Religion in Cuba]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{North America in topic|Catholic Church in|groupstyle=background-color:gold|titlestyle=background-color:gold}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Cuba}} [[Category:Catholic Church in Cuba| ]] [[Category:Catholic Church by country|Cuba]]