Pope wants revival of faith in Cuba

(March 14, 2012) Pope Benedict wants to help revive religious faith in Cuba when he visits the communist island later this month, the leader of Cuba's Catholic Church
said in a nationally televised address. In a country that for years was officially atheist, Cardinal Jaime Ortega said the 84-year-old pontiff saw the stirrings of religious fervour in the crowds of people, who paid homage to the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre when the icon of Cuba's patron saint was paraded around the country last year.
"There was great interest in this pilgrimage because the pope is committed to reviving the faith in countries that were Christianized before, who need a new evangelization," Cardinal Ortega Archbishop of Havana said on Tuesday. "There was something in this mission that was the revival of a sleeping faith; maybe a faith a little suppressed, but that was present in the heart of the people," said the Cardinal, who is vice-president of Cuba’s Catholic bishops. Cardinal Ortega, who rarely appears on Cuban television, which is state-owned, told viewers "the Pope comes to make a pastoral visit, to fulfil the mandate that Jesus gave to Peter to care for the flock.” The German-born pope will visit Cuba from March 26 to 28 after visiting Mexico from March 23-26.