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HAVANA, January 17 (Radio Havana Cuba)
In a televised appearance before a panel of Cuban journalists,
President Fidel Castro focused on the pastoral visit that Pope John
Paul II will pay to Cuba beginning Wednesday, January 21st. After
making a thorough analyses of the results of the General Elections
held on the on island January 11th, the Cuban leader recalled the
impression the Pope left on him after his visit to the Vatican in
November 1996. President Castro described the Pope as a very amicable
and respectful person who listens attentively. "From what I have read
of the history of this Pope, I'm convinced that he reached such a
high position within the Church due to his talent, his culture, his
exceptional character and his tremendous spirit" he said.
He then explained the importance of the Pontiff's visit to the
island, whose invitation was never motivated by an intention to seek
benefits for Cuba.
"First of all, the motivation of this visit was never to obtain
benefits or advantages for Cuba. There was no economic or political
interest on the part of the Cuban government, frankly speaking. The
desire for benefits had no influence in this invitation."
Answering questions from journalists from Cuban television, Radio
Havana Cuba, Granma newspaper and Rebelde Radio, the Cuban leader
pointed out that the Pope's visit could have taken place a long time
ago when the invitation was first extended. But, he said, there were
factors that did not allow the visit, including the prelude of the
Special Period that the country is currently enduring.
Since then, the Cuban leader said, he was closely following the work
and style of the Vatican, the Pope's international tours,
particularly his visits to Latin American countries and his
statements regarding social and economic problems at a time when Cuba
was committed to internationally denouncing the foreign debt.
"We were interested in having the Pope know about these facts so that
he could exert his influence on the struggle against that debt. On
the other hand, relations in general with the Vatican were always
good. And we remember with gratefulness one papal ambassador
Monsignor Zacchi who helped a great deal to find solutions to certain
difficulties that developed in our country during the early years of
the Revolution. And in his nuncio's role, Monsignor Zacchi worked
very hard to promote contacts and exchanges to ease tensions. He
played a very important role, we had a great friendship with him,
which was always cultivated, even after his retirement." said Fidel
Castro.
During his TV appearance, the Cuban leader recalled his ever
present interest in preserving unity among the Cuban people, as a way
to preserve the Revolution from any anti-religious image. Any
conflict with religious sectors, he said, could have been used by
imperialism as a propaganda tool against the Cuban Revolution and
even against the prospects of a revolution in Latin America.
As an important backdrop to the Papal visit beginning Wednesday, the
Cuban leader spoke about his meeting with the Pope in Rome, and both
leaders' participation in the FAO Summit. The speeches we delivered
there, said President Castro, were very similar.
"It can almost be asserted that the two most similar speeches
pronounced during the Food Summit were those of the Pope and mine. By
that time, as you may understand, there was not any socialist party
or government in Europe. There was no socialist community or Soviet
Union anymore. And the discussion there was concentrating on a most
important issue: food security in the world."
"Important things having to do with the lives of the peoples of
Latin America and the Third World were not being mentioned in
general. We were waging our struggle alone, solitary preachers in the
United Nations and in whatever platform we could find in the world.
And I say it was a solitary struggle, because it's interesting that
once socialism disintegrated, the denunciation of many of these
social evils began coming from the Pope."
During another moment of his television appearance, President Fidel
Castro expressed his opposition to the views that insist the Pope was
a determining factor in the fall of socialism in Eastern Europe, and
stated that John Paul II was to be regarded as a Polish nationalist
who was born in a country occupied by foreign powers on several
occasions.
"He lived a very special experience in a very special country. Poland
is a country where without any doubt many mistakes were made.
Sometimes I wonder if there really existed subjective and objective
conditions to build socialism in Poland. In that country, during that
historic period, the Pope was born, he was raised and educated and
became a priest. As a consequence of these circumstances, and as the
Pope was an active, let's say, ideological fighter against
Marxism_Leninism, and the Socialist community, he is consequently
attributed with an important role in the disappearance of socialism
in Poland, in the socialist community and even the disappearance of
the USSR. This is really a fabrication. It is a mistake to attribute
the Pope with the responsibility of what occurred in those
countries."
The Cuban President also made reference to the illusion by some who
believe that the Revolution will not be able to handle the Pope's
visit, and added that these illusions are held by people who don't
know him. This Pope, he asserted, is one of imperialism's greatest
headaches today.
"I see all the illusions they are harboring in their desperation
to see the Pope's visit become something unbearable for the Cuban
Revolution, in seeing the visit become a sword of fire that will
liquidate socialism and communism in Cuba. What they repeat the most
is that the Pope will soon visit the last stronghold of communism.
What an honor!!! We don't consider ourselves the last bulwark of
communism, there are others. They underestimate the Pope's
intelligence, spirit and thought. Because since the end of the Cold
War, this Pope has become possibly one of the greatest headaches of
imperialism today."
Fidel Castro also noted that it's difficult to find one economic or
social difficulty gripping the Third World left unattended by the
Pope in his speeches on poverty, illiteracy and other issues like
peace and the environment that Cuba can endorse. In this regard, he
cited recent statements made by the synod of Latin American Bishops
that met in Rome where all these problems were denounced.
In another moment of his presentation, the Cuban leader noted that
some people were worried because of the printing on the island of the
Pope's message to the Cubans. However, Cuba is not worried at all by
the presence of a huge amount of journalists interested in reporting
on the visit.
"I believe that with this visit, the image of our country can come
out and be seen in many countries of the world. We perfectly know
what to do and what we should do. We do hope that our compatriots
will accompany us in this effort and that they trust the Revolution
and the leaders of the revolution, trust the persons on whom they
have placed all their confidence, which we have so hardly tried to be
recipient of for almost 40 years."
We know how to attend our guests, reassured the Cuban leader, who
called on Cubans to show the level of education and culture that has
earned the island world's respect. The Pope, he stressed, should be
welcome with the consideration a Head of State and a historic
personality like him deserves, he should be welcome as a leader
concerned with the most pressing problems of these times.
"A US President, " he then added, "with all his nuclear weapons,
planes, rockets does not dare to come to this country to see what's
happening here or to address the Cubans. Let' me give you an example,
if President Clinton wished to come to Cuba to talk about capitalism,
neoliberalism, globalization, democracy, we would have no objection,
we would summon all the media, television, and radio so that he would
convince us to renounce to socialism and be converted to use the IMF
and World Bank formulas, the market economy." "The Pope", he
commented, "dares to come here and address Cubans. There is a great
difference."
During his address, Fidel Castro stressed the Cuban government's
commitment to facilitate the participation of all those who wish to
attend the masses of the Holly Father in Cuba.
"I believe that the people should participate in all of the
activities, due to an elementary sense of consideration and courtesy.
For those who are not believers, not having a religious motivation to
be there, they should be courteous and participate. We want the
squares to be overflowing with people and nobody should fear anything
because history will prove we are right.
The Cuban leader said Pope John Paul II's visit will demonstrate
Cuba's respect for believers of all the world's religions: Jews,
Moslems, Hindus, Evangelical faiths, Buddhists, Animists and those
who practice syncretic cults around the world and that the visit will
demonstrate how a socialist revolution, how communists are capable of
respecting all those who believe and those who don't believe.
Finally, President Castro announced that in those provinces where the
Vatican chief will deliver open air masses on work days, workers will
be provided with all the facilities to participate in the masses,
that will be transmitted by the local media. On Sunday, January 25th
mass in Havana's Jose Marti Revolution Square will be transmitted
live by all TV channels. He said he will be there.