Preview of papal visit to Mexico and Cuba

Pope Benedict is flying to Mexico, the first stop of a 6-day pastoral visit that also takes him to Cuba. Our correspondent who is travelling with the Pope and who's on the plane with him is Philippa Hitchen and before leaving she spoke to Veronica Scarisbrick about why the Pope is going to these two countries and the main themes of this trip.

Referring to his first stop, Philippa notes that "Mexico today is a country deeply divided ... with "a great problem of poverty" and is also "deeply affected by the drugs violence." She says it is expected that the migration prompted by this widespread poverty and the "drugs-related violence" "will be important issues" on the Pope's agenda during his visit to Mexico.

Turning to his second stop, the Caribbean island of Cuba, Philippa says the first part will be spent in Santiago de Cuba , home to the much-venerated shrine of Our Lady of Charity del Cobre, before he travels to the capital Havana. She expects that the question of dialogue ..."a dialogue for the good of all the people of Cuba" will be "high on the Pope's agenda."

Listen to the full interview by Veronica Scarisbrick with Philippa Hitchen: