Posted on 03/28/2012 9:17:35 AM PDT by marshmallow
Havana, Cuba, Mar 27, 2012 / 08:56 pm (CNA).- During a personal meeting that lasted over 40 minutes, Pope Benedict XVI asked Cuban President Raúl Castro to recognize Good Friday as a holiday in the country over its importance in the Catholic calendar.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi reported on the conversation and noted that a similar request was made by Blessed John Paul II to Fidel Castro about Christmas when the late pontiff visited Cuba in 1998.
As a consequence of that request, the Cuban government re-established Dec. 25 as a national holiday. Christmas had previously been suspended from the calendar with the success of the local Communist revolution in the late 1950s.
“Of course, this is a matter for the Cuban authorities, and we hope for a response in the not too distant future,” Fr. Lombardi told members of the press.
He added that during the meeting, Raul Castro gave the Pope “a beautiful wooden sculpture of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
What a farse. Trying to make Cristians out of Communists.
also many communists can become Christians. Even the worse detractors of Christianity like Paul became Christian...
“...hardly a farce — many cubans are very christian...”
::::::::::::
My post does not say that all Cubans are commies. We know that most are not. But trying to convince the hard commies at the top is a waste of resource. If I were the Pope, I would have gone on the record as stumping for human rights and freedoms. But maybe he did.
have spent many hours listening to older (60+, usually much more) cubans in waiting room at a urologist in miami I had a number of appts with. They talked a lot about the revolution etc. One thing they universally found amusing/silly was the notion that raul in charge meant things would improve - they all said raul was the worst of the brothers. (they were talking amongst themselves, I am fluent in spanish).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.