Lopez Oliva

They were imbued with anti-communism from the Spanish civil war. They sided with the United States and supporters of the old Batista regime and so the trouble began as a political, not religious, confrontation, yes, the Castros have changed, but so has the Church, and that is why reconciliation is now possible.

The Church is the largest non-governmental organization in Cuba and still has a significant following, they needed the Church for legitimacy and as a mediator internationally and domestically.