Afro-Cuban - Religion

Religion

Afro-Cuban religion can be broken down into three main currents: Santería, Palo Monte, and Abakuá, and include individuals of all origins. Santería and Abakuá both have large parts of their liturgy in African languages (Yoruba, Igbo and Ñañigo, respectively) while Palo Monte uses a mixture of Spanish and Kikongo. Santería and Palo Monte are largely syncretised with Catholicism, though it is generally considered that the African elements outweigh the Catholic ones.

The Abakuá religion is a secret society for men, similar to the freemason orders of Europe (which first integrated white (Spanish) members in the late 19th century). It has not been syncretised with Catholicism and remains close to its origins in south-eastern Nigeria. An important aspect of Abakuá is that while membership is only for men, a host of rules mandates that conditions to be initiated are to be a good son, good brother, good father, good friend, and, above all, heterosexual. There are presently 136 potencies in Cuba; the 136th been recently created named Efí Masongo Obane.