Pope Francis meets with former Cuban president Fidel Castro
Pope Francis met former Cuban president Fidel Castro after his mass in Havana and exchanged gifts, the Vatican has confirmed.
The meeting lasted for around 30-40 minutes, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters. The mood was was “initimate and familial”, Lombardi said. The two discussed the environment and “the situation of humanity today, the great problems”.
The pope gave Castro a copy of his environmental encyclical, Laudato Si, and books by Italian priest Alessandro Pronzato and Spanish Jesuit Segundo Llorente, who educated the former Cuban leader.
A book on humour and religion was also given to Castro, now 89. In return, he presented the pope with his own religious insights: a collection of interviews with Castro by the Brazilian priest Frei Betto.
Refused to meet with dissidents. He’s no John Paul.
“The pope gave Castro a copy of his environmental encyclical.”
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CASTRO: “Thank-you, you holiness. I was out of toilet paper. There are shortages here in the worker’s paradise. Now I have a fresh supply of something to wipe my a** with.”
“The meeting lasted for around 30-40 minutes, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters. The mood was was “initimate and familial”, Lombardi said. The two discussed the environment and “the situation of humanity today, the great problems”.
Hmmm !
They discussed the great problems of humanity today in just 40 minutes.
They must be really deep thinkers.
.