Pope Francis exhorted Cuba and the United States on Saturday to set an example
for the world by deepening the recent rapprochement that he helped secretly
broker between the former Cold War foes.
His zucchetto skullcap flying off in the Caribbean breeze at the
start of a nine-day tour of Cuba and the United States, the Argentine pope
used his arrival speech at Havana airport to praise this year's normalization
of diplomatic relations.
"I urge political leaders to persevere on this path and to
develop all its potentialities ... as an example of reconciliation for the
entire world," he said before riding his open-sided popemobile through
roads thronged with well-wishers.
Better sensitized to the issue than predecessors because of his
Latin American roots, the 78-year-old pontiff facilitated a back channel for
secret talks and sent missives to Presidents Raul Castro and Barack
Obama at a delicate stage in 2014.
That bore fruit with a prisoner swap, the opening of embassies,
and an easing of some travel and trade restrictions, although a
half-century-old economic embargo is still in place, only removable by the U.S.
Congress.
Francis is a popular figure in Cuba and thousands
lined the streets of Havana as he was driven to the papal nuncio's home,
cheering, singing, and waving Cuban and Vatican flags.
"He brings hope for a better future for Cuba,"
said Maria Antonia Iglesias, 65, waving a banner and clapping as Francisco
passed by. "Love, peace and more unity is what we need between all Cubans:
those who are here and those in the United States."
As on previous papal visits, Cuban authorities rounded up some
political opponents to prevent them from attending events around the visit, a
dissident human rights group said.
Raul Castro - who like his brother and former
revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was baptized a Catholic and educated by
Jesuits - received the pope at the airport after his 12-hour flight from Italy. It was the third papal visit to Cuba in less
than two decades.
CASTRO CRITICIZES
EMBARGO
Castro thanked the pontiff for his help with the U.S.
rapprochement, but also used his welcoming speech to criticize Washington's
embargo and its occupation of the Guantanamo naval base on the eastern tip of
the Caribbean island.
Cuba, he said, had been a model of internationalism and humanism
in past decades. "We have done that while being blockaded, insulted,
attacked, with a high cost in human lives and major economic damages."
Since reaching a historic breakthrough with Castro in December,
Obama has come out against the embargo. On Friday, he issued new regulations
weakening the embargo for a second time, using his executive authority to
circumvent Congress.
Despite making Cuba constitutionally atheist and
repressing Catholics in the early years after their 1959 revolution, the Castro
brothers have relaxed that stance since the 1990s.
In his speech, Francis sent greetings to Fidel Castro, whom he
is expected to meet. He also urged further backing for Cuban Catholics "so
that the Church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in its
hopes and concerns, with the freedom, the means and the space needed."
On a first ever visit to Cuba, he is to celebrate Mass in
Havana on Sunday in Revolution Square, where a huge picture of Jesus Christ has
been hung alongside permanent images of revolutionary heroes Ernesto
"Che" Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
While in Cuba, he may well reiterate the Vatican's
opposition to the U.S. trade embargo. But once in the United States, the pope
may tread more lightly, aides said, to avoid the appearance of meddling in the
web of legislation, interests, and decades-old resentments slowing the pace of
change.
"PREVENTIVE
REPRESSION"
Cuba's ruling Communist Party will welcome any papal criticism
of the embargo and may have to bear a corresponding call for greater political
tolerance from the government, which still runs a one-party state and jails and
harasses dissidents.
"I hope for economic improvements, more freedom for
religion, respect for human rights of all ideologies in our nation," said
Sandro Garcia, 39, strumming a guitar with others singing outside the nuncio's
house as Francis arrived.
Elizardo Sanchez, of the Cuban Commission of Human Rights and
National Reconciliation, said between 10 and 20 dissidents had been detained to
stop them attending papal events.
"A similar number have been threatened or warned. It's
preventive police repression," he said.
Among those held was the leader of the Ladies in White group in
the province of Matanzas, Leticia Ramos, who was going to lead a group of
pilgrims to Havana, Sanchez said.
An estimated 60 percent of Cuba's 11 million people are baptized
Catholic, the Church says, but fewer than 5 percent attend church, and a
majority of Cubans are believed to follow Afro-Cuban religions.
"I'm a devout 'Santero' - the Church is for old
people!" laughed Eduardo Gutierrez, 19, sitting with his girlfriend on
Havana's languid seafront. "But after what Francis has done for us, I am
going to Revolution Square to show him my respect."
The article talks about the pope bringing peace between Cuba and
the US. Along with that he has softened the harsh communist nation of Cuba, and
brings a sense of hope to the suppressed nation. After reading the article, I
appreciate the pope and respect him for all his actions of brokering. The
authors of the article seems to support the pope and puts him in a positive
view. Being one of the most important, famous and even benevolent figure in the
world, I wouldn't be surprised for all the praise he's received. For the pope
to travel to both Cuba and the US shows a parallelism between his words and his
actions in bringing in change. I like the idea of the Pope bringing peace into
Cuba and its worldly relations, so I support his actions and agree with all
that he's done.
