(9 Sep 2014) Thousands of Cuban Catholics joined Cardinal Jaime Ortega on the streets of Havana to take part in a procession honouring Cuba's patron saint, Our Lady of Charity.
The faithful walked through the old city carrying a statue of the Virgin for over an hour as people came out on to their balconies to watch.
Processions and other Christian ceremonies in public are uncommon on the island.
The Catholic Church in Cuba must apply for a permit from the Cuban government before they can take to the streets in such processions.
Relations between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government have improved considerably since the visit of Pope John Paul II to the island back in January 1998 and the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
The Catholic Church, through Cardinal Ortega, played a key role in 2010 when dozens of political prisoners were released, bringing the church-state relationship to a new and never seen before level of cooperation.

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