Father Alberto Reyes Sees Unintended Unity Emerge from Regime's Persecution of Anna Bensi

Cuban priest Alberto Reyes Pías shared his latest weekly column titled "I've Been Thinking" (177th edition) this Friday, offering a thought-provoking piece called "The Blessing of Persecution." In it, he argues that the conviction of Anna Bensi and her mother has resulted in the opposite of what the regime intended: it has sparked unity, solidarity, and a diminishing fear among Cubans.

His reflection comes a day after a court in East Havana found Anna Bensi and her mother guilty, sentencing them to two years of restricted freedom for recording and disseminating an image of a MININT officer during the delivery of a police summons at their home.

The Unexpected Consequences of Tyranny

The priest draws from a biblical quote to frame his main argument: "The Bible, the wisest of books, states that God blinds the arrogant. Dictatorships, in their boundless arrogance, become blind—not to the suffering they cause or to how much they are despised, but to the reality that their time is running out."

Reyes, the pastor of Esmeralda in Camagüey, acknowledges the personal toll inflicted by the persecution but focuses on its broader implications: "I am pained by the psychological suffering of Anna Bensi and her mother, yet when I observe the ripple effects of their persecution, I can't help but rejoice at the outcomes."

Fruits of Persecution: Visibility and Solidarity

He lists these outcomes one by one. First, the stark visibility of the totalitarian state: "The clarity with which we see ourselves as captives of a totalitarian state, where an individual only has value if they submit, serve the power meekly, and accept being a slave."

Second, the growing public solidarity: "The fruit of a people beginning to shed their fear and stand in solidarity publicly, siding with those unjustly attacked."

Interfaith Unity and a Newfound Symbolism

Reyes emphasizes the interfaith unity the case has fostered: "The fruit of church unity, all together, overcoming old differences that have often distracted us from what truly matters." This unity was evident recently when the Western Cuban Baptist Convention, the Methodist Church, and the Assemblies of God rallied behind Anna Bensi and her mother ahead of their trial.

The priest also notes a shift from what he calls "calculated prudence" to "the freedom of the Spirit," marking a profound change in the attitude of Cuban churches as they reclaim their prophetic role to proclaim justice and truth "from the rooftops."

For Father Alberto Reyes, Anna Bensi and her mother have moved beyond their individual case. "They have done more than speak aloud what we all think: they have become a symbol, a symbol we have learned to love." This transformation into a symbol, he argues, has ignited a "righteous anger" that motivates those previously indifferent. "Those who symbolize freedom, justice, decency, determination are being attacked, and that provokes anger, a lot of anger against the aggressor, prompting many lukewarm hearts to declare: 'No more!'"

The column is part of a week filled with public activity for the priest. On September 27, he published a reflection on taking the first step as a concrete action, and the following Thursday, he released another note on the hope for change in Cuba, as the U.S. condemned the sentence against Anna Bensi, labeling it "cowardice."

Father Alberto Reyes concludes his reflection with hope directed toward the regime's own agents: "The fruit of feeling disgusted with oneself, which is often the first step toward joining those who have already discovered the taste of freedom."