arrived in on Monday beginning a three day trip in which the leader of the Catholic church met with Cuban leaders and publicly spoke on the need for religious freedom. Pope Benedict spoke before a large audience yesterday in the in . Benedict called for change in Cuba and the rest of the world.  (2010) Benedict's arrival in Cuba comes 14 years after the first papal visit by  . The late pope addressed the nation in 1998 and said that Cuba should "open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba." Benedict's speech in Havana focused on the rise of religious freedom in Cuba since the 1990s – when the country dropped official atheism – as well as the need for more religious freedom in the country. According to groups on the island, 60 individuals were detained or put on house arrest during Pope Benedict's televised Mass.  also reported that Cuban human rights organizations, such as the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, were unable to communicate via phones or mobile-phones starting Monday. In addition to visiting various cities in Cuba and celebrating Mass in Havana, Benedict also met with former Cuban President  yesterday. According to a Vatican spokesman, Castro asked for a "modest and simple" meeting with the pontiff. The two spoke for 30 minutes in which the former president – who stepped down in 2006 due to illness – asked the pope about the evolution of the Catholic church over the years and what life is like as a pope.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Cuba on Monday beginning a three day trip in which the leader of the Catholic church met with Cuban leaders and publicly spoke on the need for religious freedom. Pope Benedict spoke before a large audience yesterday in the in . Benedict called for change in Cuba and the rest of the world. Pope Benedict XVI (2010) Benedict's arrival in Cuba comes 14 years after the first papal visit by Pope John Paul II . The late pope addressed the nation in 1998 and said that Cuba should "open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba." Benedict's speech in Havana focused on the rise of religious freedom in Cuba since the 1990s – when the country dropped official atheism – as well as the need for more religious freedom in the country. According to groups on the island, 60 individuals were detained or put on house arrest during Pope Benedict's televised Mass. Amnesty International also reported that Cuban human rights organizations, such as the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, were unable to communicate via phones or mobile-phones starting Monday. In addition to visiting various cities in Cuba and celebrating Mass in Havana, Benedict also met with former Cuban President Fidel Castro yesterday. According to a Vatican spokesman, Castro asked for a "modest and simple" meeting with the pontiff. The two spoke for 30 minutes in which the former president – who stepped down in 2006 due to illness – asked the pope about the evolution of the Catholic church over the years and what life is like as a pope.
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