Benedict XVI and Fidel, a Surprise Meeting?

Vatican Insider ^ | 1/14/12 | Gianni Valente

[marshmallow]

The Vatican and the Cuban government are working towards a face-to-face meeting between Benedict XVI and the sick and elderly leader, Fidel Castro, which will take place during the upcoming papal visit to the Caribbean island

It was not mentioned in the official program published by the Cuban bishops. But by this time, it is a bit more than just a hypothesis: the surprise hit of the upcoming papal visit to Cuba could be the face to face meeting between Benedict XVI and Líder Máximo, Fidel Castro, who had a momentous meeting with Pope John Paul II back in 1998.

The Pope will be in Cuba from March 26 to 28, after spending the first three and a half days of his upcoming, demanding intercontinental trip to Mexico.

The scenario that Cuban officials and Archbishop Bruno Musarò (who was appointed Vatican Nuncio to Cuba last August) are working on intently and with determination is a meeting between Benedict and Fidel that will take place on the afternoon of 27 March, when the successor of Peter will visit the Palacio de la Revolución to make his courtesy call to Cuban President Raúl Castro.

The unknowns surrounding the meeting are largely related to Fidel’s health, which justifies the secrecy maintained around the project so far. Currently the government is also preparing all the necessary conditions – including health-logistical - to make this unique rendezvous possible.

The protective veil maintained by the apparatus around the elderly leader does not make it easy to decipher his medical condition at the moment. A few days ago, the latest of an endless stream of rumors about his alleged death bounced across the social networks. “The CIA has tried to kill him 700 times - Twitter is trying to do the same,” wrote the blogger Yohandy, a supporter.......

[sayuncledave]

Hmm..Confession, Last Rites and coming home to the Church? I know, but one can dream. ;)

[AU72]

Last chance to come clean with God, but the Pope should tell him to release all political prisoners as penance.

[Niuhuru]

I think Fidel has been seeing visions of his eternal future and it won’t be one in paradise. I supposed he might try to get converted and the last sacraments and hopefully to heaven, but I am hopeful that he will go where God wants him to go, not where he tries to go.