Probably, A first on Cuban TV in the last 50 years!

[hd fan]

At least I had never seen it before on Cuban TV. One of the channels, Educativo 2 , is broadcasting tonight what seems to be yesterday's "misa" or religious service (sorry for my lack of knowledge on religious matters) offered apparently in Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre church (Virgin Mary) located in Santiago de Cuba. Predominant religion in Cuba historically has been Catholic since Spain brought it to the island.

I wonder if they are going to continue to do this with every sunday service or if it was only an specific one that was held either yesterday or recently. As per the Cuban TV guide the broadcast started at 10 pm tonight. I will also assume that this was also part of the agreements between raul castro and the cuban cardenal (who could not attend the ceremony) when they met recently (the other one being the gradual release of political prisoners).

Well they just answer one of my questions , the service is held for the peregrination of the image of the Virgin through out the city and they also mentioned it was going to be broadcast on national TV monday night. I guess my aunts are happy tonight.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

This weekend I will be sailing right by Cuba, and I plan to bring my TV Tuner for my laptop and watching some Cuban television.

Last time I did this I was shocked to see most of the programs were american shows or movies with spanish subtitles. Saw things like Law and Order SUV, Indiana Jones and a few other shows.

I found it funny that they blacked out the network logo in the corner of the screen.

There is nothing better then sitting on a cruise ship on your balcony watching television your not supposed to see.

 

[guapoharry]

Virgin of the Copper Charity?

 

[hd fan]

well , that could be a translation I guess.

El Cobre (or The Copper) is the name of the region where the church is located because it is a copper mining region. Charity comes from the fact that the first statue of the virgin in the area was stablished and a ermita was built in late 1500's or early 1600's by Alonso de Ojeda and the first spanish conquerors who were running away from some of the cuban indians but were "rescued" by some other cuban indians and as a charity (apparently as he also promised he would do if saved) he built the ermita and put the statue of Virgin Mary. Years later 2 indians and a black boy while looking for salt by sailing and walking in a close by island saw a very similar statue that resembled the one they already saw before (installed by Alonso) floating in the sea. and ever since that image of the virgin and the boat with the 2 indians and the black boy has been the one that catholic cubans have in their homes (I remember as a boy I used to rotate out of position the bote with the virgin and the chinese porcelaine Elephant that were in the living room just to make my mother mad , jejejeje). Pope John Paul II in 1998 in his visit to Cuba blessed La Virgen de La Caridad del Cobre as the Reina y Patrona de Cuba (in 1915 it was requested to be declared the patroness and declared in 1945) although she had always been venered by cubans as La patrona de Cuba from several centuries ago. To put it in perspective it is the equivalent, if you will, of La Virgen de Guadalupe , La patrona de Mexico.

BTW , apparently that TV broadcast was a 1 time event only since it is not in the schedule for next week , probably like I said related to the procesion of the virgin in the area and more likely requested by the Cuban Cardenal to the Cuban authorities. September the 8th is the day of the Virgin therefore there are always a big feast and celebrations , who knows maybe that day they also broadcast on TV the Sunday's mass.

Me being an atheist there could be mistakes or errors in the before mentioned facts so please bear with me.

 

[DJdish]

It has caught my attention to watch on Cubavison or tele Rebelde some movies ok with subs in spanish, but with some kind of censorship...

An example... some weeks ago TeleRebelde played the movie Prime with Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, and there is a scene where a woman asks the guy.... Do you believe in Jesus Christ ? and the normal subtitles were blocked actually a big part of the screen was obviusly blacked out,,, and a different subtitle inserted, changing the literal translation.... I do not exactly remember the spanish translation they inserted but it was very far from a literal translation...
And I frequently find that tipe of thing watching those Cuban channels... interesting....

 

[hd fan]

They usually , in cases of censorship, edit the movie so you will not see anything at all (IDRemember the name of the movie now but there was recently a secuence where the 2 main female caracters were about to kiss and probably go beyond and it was obviously edited). That is normal , I guess at least as a cuban I am used to it. But what you describe seems to me could have been something else , otherwise like I said , they simply edit the movie. They used to subtitle all movies in Cuba and now it seems there is a lot of them that are already subtitled by another country or TV station and in those cases at the begining of the movie there is always a warning or disclaimer that the movie has not been subtitled by Cuba therefore they can not guarantee the quality (spelling included) of such subtitles.

 

[DJdish]

Yes, that sounds right, as I have been watching some movies, it does look like they already come with subtitles, but then in some cases those subtitles are edited, I have noted that especially in certain expressions like the one mentioned above...
Thanks for your insights

 

[hd fan]

Another probable first on cuban TV. It just started on Educativo 2 and I think it is the Misa (or mass) celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus (the church has the nativity scene in the back center) . What is odd is that one would have expected it to be a catholic Misa since Catholicism is and has always been (Spanish conquerors brought it) the predominant religion in Cuba but it seems to be a Chistian based faith event rather than catholic. Looking by the attendees and the church in general (or lack of saints in its walls) and also the speakers (they dress like ministers of a christian faith rather than a catholic priest) one would say it is not catholic although on the first row you could see a few people dress like catholic priests. I would have expected this kind of misa or mass to be held tomorrow but since I am atheist I have no idea why tonight and it seems to be live.

PS : Reader bear with me the use of some religious elements in an inapropiate way if it happened due to my lack of knowledge on this relious matters.

 

[hd fan]

Just an update:

The event is not live , it was held 3 days ago , Dec 20 at 8:30 pm ET at the Havana Cathedral where the Cuban Cardenal Jaime Ortega read a Nativity Message along with different religious choruses performing religiopus music and chants according to the Cuban Catholic church website at Arzobispado de San Cristbal de La Habana.

The cardenal will do a mass at 9 am tomorrow Dec 24 at the largest cuban penitenciary where lots of political prisoners are held since apparently nowadays all church denominations in cuba are allow to do religious events inside prisons now.

The popular Misa del Gallo (I remember has always been held and lots of people attended) at 12 midnight tomorrow will be held at the havana cathedral and the cardenal will lead it as well maybe with tv coverage the day after ,who knows.

BTW apparently last year 2009, the cuban TV also did broadcast this christmas related events or mass so this is not a first on cuban tv as I thought. Also tonights event is organized and held by the catholic church, the most predominant religion in Cuba.