while the Virgin has evolved into one of the island's most important symbols, it confounds both the Roman Catholic church and Cuba's communist rulers. That's because many of her most fervent devotees say they follow the Virgin, but not the faith, and some use her shrine as a place to make anti-government statements. "I am not Catholic - I just believe in the Virgin," Marleny Faria, a 50-year-old seamstress from the city of Santiago de Cuba, says
Hemingway gave the Virgin his Nobel prize. Um, somehow I don't think La Virgen was responsible for this, though:
The mother of Fidel and Raul Castro left behind a small golden guerrilla fighter in the 1950s as her sons battled the government of former dictator Fulgencio Batista ahead of the Cuban Revolution.
The brothers survived: Cuban President Fidel Castro turns 80 in August and Defense Minister Raul Castro, his designated successor, just celebrated his 75th birthday.
That's it, blame Mary for those two sinverguenzas. I'm sure she's kept 'em alive giving them every chance to repent and believe the gospel. In Cuba synchronicity news, Mr. Weed & I are splurging and going to see The Lost City tonight. Better be good, since when you have to hire a sitter, you pay double or triple what everyone else pays to see a flick. And while we're thinking Cuba, don't forget to check in with Babalublog now and again.
