Cubano

 The roots of Cuban  religions

Cuba have long been considered a Catholic country because of its colonial history by the spaniards. However Cuba is a spiritual cocktail of religions. Christian beliefs were intruduced by the colonists men in the 16th Century. Throughout all this tme, Cuba’s religions have been change a lot.

The colonists contributed their own beliefs, Catholicism,due to the decline of the local native population, began the arrival of slaves from Africa to assistance in the domestic job and farms work,They facilitated the path for the upcoming of beliefs belonging to the African continent.

After that in the 19th Century, protestant and evangelic religions coming from the U.S.A were show in the area, also other beliefs that have characterized Cuba’s religious scenario.

A significant amount of people in Cuba follow a religion that is a merge of African and Christian religions. The roots of this faith came from the period when Africans wouldn’t practice their particular religions. As an alternative, they ingeniously merge their African religious beliefs with Christian ritual in order to look like in from of their Catholic owners that they were converted to the religions of their masters. Over time the concealed nature of the religions became lost and disciples of this faith in Cuba observed the Christian symbolism and practices a part of their religions.

Catholic churchs are calculated in the country in less than a hundred,betwen the first ones you can find the Paules, Dominicans, Jesuits, Franciscans, escolapios and capuchins,Female religious communities conduct humanitarian assignment that includes the caring of sick, aged or disable people in diverse institutions

Throughout colonial times, no additional religions rather than Catholicism was allowed with the chase and penalties for any individual who get involved in any other religions

The Protestantism that comes up in the 19th Century, was present in Cuba since 1902. Within these churches we might find Pentecostal, Jehovah Witnesses Seventh Day Adventist, Nazarene Church, around 50 evangelic churches exist in the island.

African Religions

Generally known as worships of African origin or Afro Cuban religions largely manifest in Cuba, Santeria o Regla de Ocha or Yoruba religion, Regla Arara Regla Conga o Palo Monte, and the secret society of Abakua.

Coming from Yoruba, an initial ethnic of Nigeria, Santeria o Regla de Ocha was initially characterized by the worship to orishas (saints). In their origins they idealized the power of mother nature, such as the formation of rivers, or thunder anger, that got to identify with deities that were warriors or cured illnesses and they were represented as saints.

As African people were being acquainted with Catholic churches, slaves found resemblance with their orishas, but they were forced to disguise them as a way to honor their gods.

The highest hierarchy is ruled by Babalaos besides existing other active believers as the babalochas, iyalochas and orishas. Specialists contemplate the worship of African origin far more complex that the one existing in the country and which usually is kept in a bigger number of original elements.

The Yorubas got the theory of a creator, which can be compare it with the God of Catholics, this god is usually called Olofi.

From all over Africa, slaves were introduced from society identified as Bantu, language, whose beliefs brought foundation to Regla Conga or Palo Monte, inspired in the forces of nature and that says how the super natural sits on nature in the wilds. It is the religious beliefs of the called paleros and uses Catholic altars and rituals like baptism, blessed water and masses. At the same time it is mixed with black magic.

From these beliefs we can uncover various branches in the country, which include: Mayombe, Briyumba and Kimbisa.

Emerging out of Calabar, between the Nigeria area and Cameroon, there emerged the carabalies, They created a secret society for males “Abakua”, as their norms recall sustain societies or mutual support. They have a routine using an African touch that consists of songs and dances, along with catholic elements.

Other religious movement are also found in Cuba, such as the Judaism, the Voodoo,  some beliefs, got here from the Chinese workers communities, people from Yucatan and from some other regions as well.

But the Chatolic along whit the African religions are the ones that prevale in most of the population Belief.