Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said in an article published on Tuesday that he would “gladly” meet Pope Benedict XVI, who arrived in Cuba on Monday.
“I will gladly greet His Excellency the Pope as I did (Pope) John Paul II,” Castro wrote. “That is why I decided to ask for a few minutes of his very busy time when I heard from our foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez that he would be agreeable to a modest and simple meeting.”
The pontiff arrived on an apostolic visit to the Caribbean island nation on Monday. On Tuesday he met with Cuban President Raul Castro. It is expected that on Wednesday morning Pope will celebrate Mass on Havana’s José Martí Revolution Square.
In the article, “Hard Times for Mankind,” Castro said that Marxists and Christians should work together to fight for the survival of the planet.
