Christmas Message from the Christian Liberation Movement

 "We have not chosen the path of peace as a tactic, but because it is inseparable from the goal for which our people are striving." - Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas

Ceremony for Mr Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, 2002 Sakharov laureate with EU's Pat Cox

Twenty one years ago this week on December 17, 2002 in Strasbourg, France while receiving the Sakharov Prize from the European Union Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas explained what motivated his movement's choice to embark on a nonviolent struggle:

"We have not chosen the path of peace as a tactic, but because it is inseparable from the goal for which our people are striving. Experience teaches us that violence begets more violence and that when political change is brought about by such means, new forms of oppression and injustice arise."

Oswaldo's full written speech is available online, and required reading, and video of the speech is also available online. 

He ended this speech affirming the Christian foundation of the movement he founded and led: the Christian Liberation Movement.

"We dedicate this prize and our hopes to the Lord Jesus, born in a lowly manger. Thank you and Merry Christmas." 

Oswaldo paid the ultimate price for freedom.  Let us remember and honor him by sharing the truth about the circumstances surrounding his murder and the murder of MCL youth leader Harold Cepero on July 22, 2012.

Their murders demonstrate that Nonviolent resistance to a brutal dictatorship is not without risk, and after 64 years in power even more so.  

Nonviolent scholar Michael N. Nagler in his book, "The Nonviolence Handbook: A Guide for Practical Action" in the following passage provides a description and analysis relevant to what is taking place in Cuba, and may be useful in understanding where things stand in the struggle today:

"Conflicts escalate when they are not resolved, and if they are left untended they can rapidly get out of control." From the nonviolence point of view, the intensity of a conflict is not necessarily a question of how many guns or how many people are involved (the same metric would work for a quarrel between lovers as between nations); it is primarily about how far dehumanization has proceeded. If someone no longer listens to you, is calling you names or is labeling you, it’s probably too late for petitions. In terms of knowing how to respond, we can conveniently think of this escalation in three stages that call for distinct sets of responses. Let’s call these three stages Conflict Resolution, Satyagraha (active nonviolent resistance), and—hopefully this is rare, but it helps to know it exists—Ultimate Sacrifice.

The Christian Liberation Movement released the following statement that has been translated below from the original Spanish. 

Christmas Message from the Christian Liberation Movement 

We are very close to celebrating the Nativity of the Lord and we want to unite in good wishes with our people.  

Just as the people of God walked through the desert, in the midst of tribulations and in the diaspora, they never stopped looking with their hearts towards Jerusalem, so our people walk in the midst of oppression and exile, looking towards Cuba with hope in their soul. and in every thought. The hope that the faith and determination of a people who want to be free and seek happiness in their own country gives us. 

Those imprisoned for political causes have also marked the year. They have been kidnapped and with dignity they bear the full weight of repression for the freedom of our people. Their faces are also that of hope.  

The Letter to the Hebrews in chapter 13 tells us “Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them.”  

Extreme poverty rates are increasing and the difficulties of putting bread on the table has become a true miracle. While the caste that has kidnapped the rights of Cubans lives in the midst of luxuries and privileges, segregating citizens. 

But injustice will not prevail because our hope comes from above, it comes on Christmas from Jesus Christ, a defenseless child cold in the middle of the night in his poor manger. 

That next year we can all meet in our homeland, our fraternal Cuban National Home so that our lives can be reborn in freedom, the spiritual life of the Cuban soul and we can find happiness in the land that God gave us and the Virgin of Charity, Mother of all Cubans bless.

Let us celebrate this birth with joy and hope, so that God continues with us on this long journey.  

Let us return our hearts to God, because the freedom of Cuba will necessarily pass through faith and values. 

Merry Christmas! God bless our beloved Cuba! 

 All Cubans, All Brothers and Now Freedom!  

Christian Liberation Movement 

 December 24, 2023

 

Mensaje de Navidad del Movimiento Cristiano Liberación 

Estamos muy cerca de celebrar la Natividad del Señor y queremos unirnos en buenos deseos con nuestro pueblo.

Así como el pueblo de Dios caminó por el desierto, en medio tribulaciones  y en la diáspora nunca dejo de mirar con el corazón hacia Jerusalén, así camina nuestro pueblo en medio de la opresión y el exilio mirando mira hacia Cuba con la esperanza en él alma y en  cada pensamiento. La esperanza que nos da la fe y la determinación de un pueblo que quiere ser libre y buscar la felicidad en su propia patria.

Los presos por causas políticas han marcado también el año. Han sido secuestrados y con dignidad asumen todo el peso de la represión por la libertad de nuestro pueblo. Sus rostros son también el de la esperanza. 

La Carta a los Hebreos en su capítulo 13 nos dice “ acuérdense de los presos como si también ustedes lo estuvieran”

Los índices de pobreza extrema aumentan y las dificultades para llevar el pan a la mesa se ha convertido en un verdadero milagro. Mientras la casta que ha secuestrado los derechos a los cubanos vive en medio de los lujos y privilegios segregando a los ciudadanos.  

Pero la injusticia no prevalecerá porque nuestra esperanza viene de lo alto, viene en Navidad de Jesucristo, un niño indefenso con frío en medio de la noche en su pobre pesebre. 

Que el próximo año nos podamos encontrar todos en nuestra patria, nuestro Hogar Nacional Cubano fraterno para que renazcan nuestras vidas en libertad, la vida espiritual del alma cubana y encontremos la felicidad en la tierra que Dios nos entregó y la Virgen de la Caridad Madre de todos los cubanos bendice. 

Celebremos este nacimiento con alegría y esperanza, para que Dios continúe junto a nosotros en este largo caminar.

Volvamos nuestros corazones a Dios, porque la libertad de Cuba pasará necesariamente por la fe y los valores. 

¡Feliz Navidad! Dios bendiga a nuestra amada Cuba!

Todos Cubanos, Todos Hermanos y Ahora la Libertad!

 Movimiento Cristiano Liberación

24 de diciembre 2023

Fuente: https://mcliberacion.org/2023/12/mensaje-de-navidad-2023-movimiento-cristiano-liberacion/