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27th July 2008 |
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Pray for Cuba |
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Pray for Cuba
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with a population of 11 million which is over 100 people per sq km. There are about one million Cuban refugees living in the USA.There are nearly 3 million Catholics and by far the next biggest religious group is 85,000 JW’s. Nominal adherence to Catholicism dropped from 85% in 1957 to 38.5% in 1983, and the number of priests from 725 to 200. Since the Pope's visit in 1998, the Catholic Church has revived and church attendance has increased. Pray that millions might come to personal faith in Christ.
Persecution of Christians has been severe, Catholics suffering even more than Protestants. For decades Christians were subject to arbitrary arrest, imprisonment, discrimination, and any church activities were restricted or arbitrarily banned. All open witness, evangelism and literature production and distribution was made almost impossible. That persecution has diminished but not ceased, but the capriciousness of its application breeds insecurity. Applications for registering or repairing churches are routinely ignored. Discipleship is still costly but many are prepared to pay the price and shine for Jesus. Pray for continued courage and fortitude for believers, and for complete religious freedom.
Also pray for the rest of the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago. |
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