It was recently announced that Pope Benedict XVI would be making a trip to Cuba in early March. In this trip, he is scheduled to visit the island for 48 hours. The itinerary includes the city of Santiago, the Virgin of Caridad del Cobre, and the capital city of Havana. While in Havana, the pope is scheduled to meet with Cardinal Jaime Ortega and other church leaders from Cuba. Later in the afternoon, the Holy Father is scheduled to meet with the president of Cuba, Raul Castro. Finally, the pope will have mass at Revolution Plaza, where hundreds of thousands are expected to attend.
This trip that is expected to be taken by the Holy Father is considerably less than the visit taken by former Pope John Paul II. This could be due to numerous reasons, but has caused some speculation. Church leaders have noticed Pope Benedict much weaker in recent months which could explain the shorter trip. Although, there are many other reasons that are being speculated.
In my opinion, this papal visit will be a great thing for Cuba. Although the persecution of the Cuban citizens may not be put to an end by this trip, it will give the Cuban people hope that someday they will be free. In addition, Castro has agreed to release 2,900 political prisoners, and hopefully, this will last after the pope has left for the Vatican. All in all, with the whole world frowning upon dictatorships and denying citizens freedom, this may be the first step in firmly telling the Cuban government that their legislation and acts that follow are unacceptable.
The Pope's visit will certainly be an event that will bring Cuba to the forefront of international news. It will be interesting to observe how the Cuban government approaches this important event. Keep your eyes open for other articles / commentaries regarding the Pope's arrival in March.
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