Cuba–Greece relations

Cuban-Greek relations

Cuba
Greece

Cuban-Greek relations are foreign relations between Cuba and Greece. Cuba has an embassy in Athens and Greece has an embassy in Havana. Greek positions on matters concerning Cuba are elaborated jointly with other European Union members.

History

St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Havana
Mosaic depicting the handover of the keys by Fidel Castro to Patriarch Bartholomew

There are between 30 and 50 people of Greek descent in Cuba.[1][2] They are located mostly in Havana, where there is a Greek embassy. In 2004, Cuba built its first church in 43 years, the St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Old Havana. It serves Havana's estimated 8,000 Orthodox Christians, 50 of whom are Greek.[3] Cuba's first Greek Orthodox church, Saints Constantine and Helen, was built in 1950 but was never used for church services. As of 2004, it remained the home of a children's theater company, despite diplomatic efforts by Giorgos Kostoulas, Greece's ambassador to Cuba, to return the church to its original purpose.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Behind-the-scenes of an Orthodox church in Havana". AsiaNews. Retrieved 2009-05-08. Metropolitan Athenagoras admits that Cuba's generous gesture toward the Greek Orthodox community may appear incomprehensible. Most Cuban Christians are Catholics and of the few thousand Orthodox residents in Cuba, only 50 are Greek.
  2. ↑ Diaspora General Facts
  3. ↑ Cuba: First church to open in 43 years

External links

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