Archbishop cancels cruise to Cuba

By APRIL WITT
Herald Staff Writer

Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora on Friday abruptly canceled his planned pilgrim's cruise to Cuba to see Pope John Paul II -- one day after being pressured by prominent Cuban Catholic businessmen, including major church fund raisers, not to go.

``It is now evident to me that the cruise ship has become a source of serious tension in our community,'' Favalora said in a written statement.

``After prayerful reflection, I have decided that it is in the best interest of the Church in Miami to cancel the cruise ship and to lead a pilgrimage to Cuba by other means.''

Rafael Peñalver, one of several prominent Cuban lawyers, bankers and business executives who met with the archbishop Thursday to oppose the cruise as a ``symbol of frivolity'' that Castro might exploit politically, praised Favalora's swift response.

``I'm excited,'' said Peñalver, a lawyer. ``We are very grateful to the archbishop for the fact that he heard us so attentively and that he took the concerns of the Cuban grass roots into account. We are deeply humbled by the church's response.''

The Archdiocese of Miami, which had been saying that cruise tickets are nonrefundable, will reimburse more than 400 Catholics from South Florida and nationwide who had purchased tickets for a four-day, Miami-to-Havana cruise to hear the pope celebrate an outdoor Mass on Jan. 25, said Mary Ross Agosta, a church spokesperson.

Many ticketholders are people with modest incomes who made financial sacrifices to try to join their archbishop on the cruise.

The archdiocese will likely try to charter a flight to Cuba for Favalora and fellow pilgrims during the pope's historic visit to the island, she said.

The decision to cancel the cruise and refund tickets will cost the archdiocese an estimated $750,000 to $800,000, according to informed sources.
Political pressure?

Church officials stressed Friday that Favalora was not bowing to political pressure from prominent Cuban exiles opposed to the trip -- or threats that they would boycott the collection plate.

But many supporters and critics of the cruise believe that Favalora canceled the cruise because of political pressure -- and said that makes both the church and exiles look bad.

``My concern is we are going to make news everywhere saying we bullied the archdiocese into canceling this, and that is not untrue -- but it could have been handled differently,'' said Armando Gonzalez, past chairman of Facts about Cuban Exiles, a group whose leaders met with church officials last month to express concerns about the trip.

``I am very disappointed with Favalora and his team. It's very disappointing that they don't have the wherewithal to face pressure based on what they said was their conviction and duty. Everybody now looks bad and the government of Cuba is going to say, `Hey, they were welcomed.' ''

Monsignor Bryan Walsh, retired director of Catholic Charities for the archdiocese, said he couldn't recall another situation in which it appeared so clear-cut that the archdiocese changed course as a result of political pressure.

``I don't think this is a victory for anybody -- anybody,'' Walsh said. ``I'm not going to try to second-guess the archbishop. He has to call it the way he sees it. He has information I don't have, but I'm just very sad.

``I'm just sorry the cruise ship isn't going,'' said Walsh, who had purchased a ticket for the cruise. ``I'm very sorry it came to this point. But the church will survive. This, too, will pass.''

A moral imperative

For months, Favalora has planned to lead a pilgrimage of Catholics from South Florida to Cuba during the pope's visit to the island. Church leaders have said consistently that it was a moral imperative to make the trip both to support the pontiff and show solidarity with Cuban Catholics who've maintained their faith under an oppressive political regime and are experiencing a religious revival on the island.

The church hired a cruise ship, the Norwegian Majesty, to ferry pilgrims, saying that mode of travel would allow pilgrims to sleep and eat on board and avoid spending money for hotels and meals in Castro's Cuba.

But some Cuban exiles have harshly criticized the cruise for months -- organizing a large march in part to oppose it, sending letters to the archdiocese and meeting privately with church officials. Many opponents of the trip personally vow never to return to the island while Castro is in power and feared the archbishop's cruise could somehow be manipulated to legitimize Castro's regime.

Opposition letter

Last month, more than 20 prominent Hispanic Catholics who belong to a business organization called the Round Table, sent a letter to Favalora asking him to cancel the Cuba trip. All but a few who signed the letter decrying the trip are Cuban Americans. Among them was Jose C. Cancela, general manager of WSCV-Channel 51 and the volunteer chairman of the archbishop's biggest annual fund-raising drive, which funds church aid to the poor in South Florida.

After meeting Thursday with several men who had signed that letter, Favalora said through a spokesman that he would reconsider the cruise and pray for guidance in making a good decision for the entire community.

He decided early Friday to cancel the cruise, Agosta said.

Some ticketholders for the canceled cruise said they don't know whether they'll still try to go to Cuba to see the pope or how they'll get there if they do go.

``At this point, I don't know which way I'm going to go,'' said Elly Chovel, who lives in Coral Gables and has not returned to Cuba since she left as a child in 1962. ``I have no idea even how to make hotel reservations in Cuba. I wish I had not been put in this position.''

Herald staff writers Fabiola Santiago and Lydia Martin contributed to this report.