Posted on 11/28/2016 6:36:57 PM PST by marshmallow
The Polish Pope’s former spokesman said the late Fidel Castro “wanted to know everything there was to know about John Paul II”
"Fidel Castro kept me talking for six hours. He was fascinated by John Paul II and although he was jealous of his inner life, I sensed he wanted to delve deeper… I told him he was a lucky man because the Pope prayed for him every day. For once he was silent.” On the occasion of Wojtyla’s visit to Cuba in January 1998, the role of Joaquín Navarro-Valls, John Paul II’s spokesman, went far beyond his official duties as director of the Holy See Press Office. He talked about it in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa.
How did the Pope’s visit to the island come about after he had helped bring down the Berlin Wall, one of the last bastions of communism?
“John Paul II had been sending delegates to Cuba for a decade or so. The Vatican “minister for foreign affairs”, Jean Louis Tauran also went. The Pope was eager to visit the island but he still hadn’t received an invitation. Finally, in November 1996, Castro came to Rome for an FAO meeting, he was received in the Vatican and formally invited the Pope.”
How did you prepare for the visit?
“We worked for the whole of 1997 to organise it. Three months prior to the visit, in October that year, I went to Havana and met Fidel. It was a long meeting that went on for six hours and ended at around three in the morning. Castro was fascinated by John Paul II, he wanted to know everything there was to know about him, who his family was, what his life had been like. He wanted to know more about Wojtyla as a man and gave.....
(Excerpt) Read more at lastampa.it ...
I remember John Paul at Living History Farms.
JP II was my most favorite Pontiff (until B XVI came along). JP II was a man of heroic virtue when I very desperately needed one!
Me too. Thus my name
Give your people Christmas Mass and I will thank you publicly.
How I miss him.
Give your people Christmas Mass and I will thank you publicly.
How I miss him.
Eff castro forever!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.