Archbishop Wenski Talks Pope's Trip to Cuba

Archbishop Wenski will accompany the pope on his trip to Cuba

It has been 14 years since Cuba hosted Pope John Paul II in his historic visit to the Communist island.

Now Pope Benedict XVI will travel to the Caribbean nation to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady of Charity, Cuba's patron saint. Although some things have changed since the last Papal visit , the totalitarian government now presided by Raul Castro has not.

Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski has had a significant role in making this visit happen and has seen some change from when he was there with Pope John Paul II in 1988. 

But this visit doesn't come without controversy.

"Yeah, I'm sure whey the government has denied some journalists visas and granted some to others for as far as pilgrims that are joining with me, only 2 or 3 were denied so the numbers denied are relatively difficult," Wenski told NBC 6.

Tensions in Cuba between dissidents and communist party leaders are rising ahead of the papal visit, with the arrests of more than 50 activists including some members of the opposition group Ladies in White, with it's new leader Bertha Soler.

"Well, the church is always a safe place for people. The Ladies in White have a mass every Sunday. When they were harassed by government officials t was the cardinal who spoke out for their defense," Wenski said. "I think in that sense my house is a house of prayer so therefore, it should not be used for other ends."

Also last week,there was a two-day sit-in style protest at a Havana church by dissidents, which ended after the Archbishop of Havana ordered the group removed.

"Well, I think for 50 years people have heard on the island a discourse that is inspired by hatred. The pope is going to give a message of love and the meaning is that love will be more constructive for a better future for Cuba than the usual narrative that has been heard on the island," Wenski said.

Church officials say about 60 percent of Cuba's 11.2 million people have been baptized in the faith, but only about 5 percent of these regularly go to mass. The once powerful Catholic Church in Cuba is hoping the German pontiff will awaken what Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega called last week "A sleeping faith."

Wenski will assist with the pope's two planned masses in Havana and Santiago, and he will say mass himself in Havana 's cathedral.

"I think the church on the island is present in the lives of the Cuban Pople and so everyone in the island is part of some transition at this point because there are a lot of changes happening," Wenski said.

 

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