Pope Benedict has issued a series of subtle, but powerful messages to the oppressed people of Cuba and to the Castro government. Here are a sampling of some of his more important utterances:TRUTH "The truth is a desire of the human person, the search for which always supposes the exercise of authentic freedom... On the other hand, there are those who wrongly interpret this search for the truth, leading them to irrationality and fanaticism; they close themselves up in "their truth", and try to impose it on others.... Each human being has to seek the truth and to choose it when he or she finds it, even at the risk of embracing sacrifices. Jose Marti Square, Havana March 28, 2012
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM "The Church lives to make others sharers in the one thing she possesses...Christ, our hope and glory. To carry out this duty, she must count on the basic religious freedom, which consists in her being able to proclaim and to celebrate her faith also in public, bringing others the message of love, reconciliation, and peace which Jesus brought to the world." Jose Marti Square, Havana March 28. 2012
TRANSFORMATION "Father Felix Varela offers us a path to a true social transformation to form virtuous men and women in order to forge a worthy and free nation, for this transformation depends on man's spiritual life, in as much as "there is no authentic fatherland without virtue." Cuba and the world need change, but this will occur only if each one is in a position to seek the truth and chooses the way to love, sowing reconciliation and fraternity."
LIBERTY I carry in my heart the just aspirations and legitimate desires of all Cubans, wherever they may be, their sufferings and their joys, their concerns and their noblest desires, those of the young and the elderly, of adolescents and children, of the sick and workers, of prisoners and their families, and of the poor and those in need.
Many parts of the world today are experiencing a time of particular economic difficulty, that not a few people regard as part of a profound spiritual and moral crisis which has left humanity devoid of values and defenceless before the ambition and selfishness of certain powers which take little account of the true good of individuals and families. We can no longer continue in the same cultural and moral direction which has caused the painful situation that many suffer...Dear friends, I am convinced that Cuba, at this moment of particular importance in its history, is already looking to the future, and thus is striving to renew and broaden its horizons. Arrival in Cuba, March 26, 2012
THE MARXIST IDEOLOGY "Today it is evident that the Marxist ideology, in the way it was conceived, no longer corresponds to reality. This way can no longer respond and build a society. New models must be found with patience and in a constructive way...We want to collaborate in this direction."
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro had a private meeting on Wednesday with Pope Benedict at the end of his pastoral visit to Cuba. The 85 year old Castro led the country’s revolution in the 1950´s and served as first secretary of Cuba´s communist party from its foundation until his retirement in 2011. Lydia O'Kane spoke to Philippa Hitchen who is in Cuba with Pope Benedict about the main themes under discussion during the meeting: Listen: 
