Cuban Orthodox Cathedral Near Completion (Havana)

Cuban Orthodox Cathedral Near Completion
By ANITA SNOW
Associated Press Writer


HAVANA (AP)--Hammers clanged inside a Byzantine sanctuary as workers rushed to finish the new St. Nicholas Cathedral in time for a visit Wednesday by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.

The patriarch, making the first visit by an Orthodox patriarch to Latin America, will consecrate the cathedral built by Fidel Castro's communist government.

``We thank the people of Cuba for this gift,'' Metropolitan Athenagoras, regional leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, said Tuesday.

As he discussed the patriarch's visit, Metropolitan Athenagoras clasped his hands and beamed at the building of cream-colored stone blocks and red brick trim.

``We are so grateful to him and to our Lord,'' said the metropolitan, who is the equivalent of archbishop for Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Colombia.
(snip/...)

~~~~ link ~~~~

Posted on Fri, Jan. 16, 2004

Spiritual leader of world's Orthodox Christians will bestow Fidel Castro with church order
By The Associated Press

HAVANA - The spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians will honor Fidel Castro with the church's Order of St. Andrew the Apostle during his visit next week, event organizers said Friday.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will present the honor to thank Castro for his government's construction of the church's new St. Nicholas Cathedral, to be consecrated by the patriarch on Jan. 25, regional church leaders told a news conference.

Bartholomew will be the first Orthodox Christian patriarch ever to visit Latin America, said Metropolitan Athenagoras of Panama and Central America, equivalent of archbishop for a region that includes Mexico, the Caribbean, Colombia and Venezuela.

''For us, this visit has great historic significance,'' Metropolitan Athenagoras told reporters. He said the Orthodox hierarchy occasionally bestows the Order of St. Andrew on personalities who help the church.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7729422.htm

Originally posted in DU by JudiLyn:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=318219

(snip) First group of Chinese tourists arrive in Cuba

www.chinaview.cn 2004-01-21 11:19:23


HAVANA, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- A Chinese tour group arrived Tuesday in Havana, capital of Cuba, the first approved travel destination in the Americas for Chinese tourists.

The 20-member tour group from Beijing will spend four days at the tourist resort of Varadero in Havana, then continue their trip to Chile, Brazil and Peru on a 19-day Latin American tour.

The Chinese tourists, the first arriving in Cuba in an individual way, chose to spend the Spring Festival, the lunar Chinese New Year, in the Caribbean country.

Cuba is the first tourist destination in the Americas approved by the Chinese authorities, which signed with Havana an agreement of understanding on tourism last July.

The airlines of the two countries, Air China and Cubana, have signed a letter of intent to collaborate and open a direct flight between Beijing and Havana.
(snip/...)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/21/content_1286128.htm

An estimated 500 Greek-Americans are expected in Cuba for the consecration, along with scores more Orthodox faithful from around the region, Metropolitan Athenagoras said.

-

The patriarch's visit coincides with a trip here by the National Council of Churches U.S.A., which represents many mainline American Christian groups.

The embargo will end as soon as the bipartisan pandering to the extremist Miamicuban exiles is no longer the most profitable (campaign $$) way to go.



Sadly, only ONE candidate for
US president openly states that he
would end this unjust and insane
policy against Cuba AND Americans.

That candidate is Dennis Kucinich.

-The Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba-
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox just the tongue? Or do they both use Latin?

Years ago I attended a Russian Orthodox Mass. The Mass was in Gregorian chant like style. It was unlike any Christian service I ever witnessed. Was beautiful, but very long, It was about two and a half hours in length if I remember correctly.

Each country in the Eastern Orthodox denomination has its own national church and patriarch that are politically independent from each other, unlike the Catholic church where the Vatican has supreme reign over all Catholic churches. The language of service in Slavic Eastern Orthodox churches is the so-called Church Slavic (a form of 12th century Bulgarian), and Greek in Greek Orthodox churches.