CUBA: CAMAGUEY: REACTION TO POPE JOHN PAUL II VISIT

(23 Jan 1998) Spanish/Nat

For a second day, Pope John Paul II made his case for Catholic education in Cuba when he said the church has a duty to provide moral, civic and religious information at a visit to the provincial town of Camaguey.

Behind the scenes his emissaries have been working to persuade Fidel Castro's regime to free some of the 5-hundred political prisoners, dissidents claim are held in Cuban jails.

These efforts have helped the Pope in his efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Cuban people.

The people of the Cuban town of Camaguey turned out in their thousands for the visit by the Roman Catholic pontiff.

They lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the man who has made such an impact in such a short time in the country.

Already he has made a strong case for the restoration of Catholic education which ended soon after the 1959 revolution.

And he has also won a promise from the Cuban government of Fidel Castro to consider the release of prisoners held in the country.

It's all evidence of the influence the Holy Father has already managed to achieve over the Cuban people.

His crusade on moral values dominated the address he made at Camaguey - with the Pontiff appealing to the island's youth to return to their Cuban and Christian roots.

He has attracted interest from beyond followers of the Roman Catholic church.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Good, good, very good. I liked it, I do not go to church, but yes I liked it."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Today's youth represent the future, today's youth is the future of our country, the future of our people. That is my feeling, that is the message I sing."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"It was so wonderful, that was a once in a lifetime. It will only happen once. It was something which was very fulfilling, at least up until now, nothing like that will ever happen again. That is what we thought. But it was a miracle, a miracle for all of us."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop

The Pope has reached out to Cubans of all generations who have responded emotionally to his visit.

His criticism of the U-S embargo against Cuba has won him many friends on the island.

At Camaguey he made his first explicit statements on the U-S economic embargo, saying it's deplorable because it hurts the needy.

But he also says the embargo shouldn't be used as an excuse for all of Cuba's woes.

His honesty and straightforwardness is part of his attraction for the Cuban people.

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