Pope Francis wasn't the first to visit Cuba - what happened during previous Papal visits?

Pope Francis is the third to visit

Pope Francis is the third pope to visit Cuba. Who were the first two and why did they decide to visit?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II each made the trip to Cuba in 2012 and 1998 respectively.

TIME called John Paul's meeting with Fidel Castro a "clash of faiths," with a cover reading, "What Brought Them Together: Two giants of the century put their faiths to the test."

The first papal visit to Cuba occurred at the end of the Cold War era and Cuba was comfortably set in its Marxist ways. Though there was no official interest for organized Western religion, the citizens displayed signs of interest in religion.

TIME explained, "A 100-year-old ideology that proposed a collective paradise of social justice and economic equality on earth will confront a 2,000-year-old belief in the eternal power of devotion to the divine and reverence for human dignity.

The Pope's goal is nothing less than the global establishment of a completely Christian alternative to the once alluring Marxist philosophies of this ages ... Fidel Castro remains faithful, a true believer in a god that failed. 'History will absolve me,' he proclaimed ... John Paul II is equally certain that his religion will one day sweep away even this last vestige of godless communism."

Despite Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's scandal at the time of the papal visit, it was a major milestone in opening Cuban relations with the rest of the world.

PAPAL VISIT LIVE STREAMING VIDEO HERE

When Pope Benedict spoke to reporters on his flight to Cuba, he said, "It is evident that Marxist ideology as it was conceived no longer responds to reality. So you have to find new models, with patience, and in a constructive way."

He wanted to support the effort "in the spirit of dialogue to avoid trauma and to help bring about a just and fraternal society, as we want in the whole world."

Boston reported Pope Benedict called for "authentic freedom" and asked the faithful to seek a humble and pure heart while trusting in God.

Now, 17-years-later, Pope Francis has lifted the mantel of tradition and has also encouraged Cubans to trust God and focus on serving people, not ideas.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online