Tag Archives: Cuba

Pope Francis and Venezuela: Throwing Another Tyranny a Lifeline

Cross-posted on the Corner: Critics of Pope Francis who describe him as a ‘socialist’ are fairly wide off the mark.  Perhaps that was inevitable: Describing the ideology of a pope in conventionally political terms is, by definition, going to be … Continue reading

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Castro: The Pope and the Dictator

To Pope Francis, Castro’s death was “sad” news, kind words indeed from someone who the former dictator would once have described as “social scum”. Meanwhile, just two or three weeks ago the pontiff was being quoted favorably on Telesur (a … Continue reading

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Two “Brothers”: Pope Francis and the Chekist

Cross-posted on the Corner. The Pope’s decision to meet his “brother”, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in, delightfully, Havana (you can find some details here of the way that the persecution of Christians has spiked since last year’s Francis-brokered deal between … Continue reading

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Will the Pope Make Time for Cuba’s Dissidents?

Cross-posted on the Corner Washington Post: HAVANA — Pope Francis plans to meet with Cuba’s president and its priests, its young and its sick, its churchgoers and its seminarians as he travels around the island starting Saturday. But not with … Continue reading

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Meeting Raul

Cross-posted on the Corner: The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Henninger on Pope Francis’s meeting with Raúl Castro (and France’s President Hollande’s with Fidel): A beaming, star-struck Mr. Hollande on Monday received a one-hour audience (there is no other word) with … Continue reading

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Strange New Respect

BBC: Cuban President Raul Castro has said he was so impressed by a Vatican audience with Pope Francis that he might return to the faith he was born into. Mr Castro praised the pontiff’s wisdom, adding: “I will resume praying … Continue reading

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The Vatican and Cuba: Some More Background

Cross-posted on the Corner: With the latest crackdown in Cuba showing just how Havana has ‘read’ Obama’s policy shift towards the Castro dictatorship, this new Foreign Affairs article by Victor Gaetan giving some background to the Vatican’s involvement in the … Continue reading

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No Longer?

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Pope’s visit to Cuba here. Three details. First this: One incident at the start of the papal visit left little doubt as to the state of political freedom in Cuba. Before an outdoor … Continue reading

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Preparations for a Visit (Ctd)

Cross-posted on the Corner Via MSNBC: HAVANA — Cuba released 70 members of the dissident Ladies in White group detained during the weekend but warned them not to attend activities related to next week’s visit of Pope Benedict, the group’s … Continue reading

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Preparing for a Visit (2)

Cross-posted on the Corner. Via the Miami Herald, more on the Pope’s upcoming visit to Cuba: Nearly 750 Cuban activists have signed a letter to Pope Benedict XVI warning that his planned visit to Cuba will “send a message to … Continue reading

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