Fidel Castro Meets the Pope

Fidel Castro Meets the Pope

Pope Benedict and Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro had a brief meeting on Wednesday.

The two world dominant figures talked for about 30 minutes at the Vatican embassy in Havana during the Pope’s three-day visit to Cuba, where he called for freedom and a more important role for the Catholic Church in the communist-led nation.

Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said Pope Benedict, 84, and Castro, 85, had an "exchange of ideas" in a friendly atmosphere.

Castro transformed the Caribbean island into a communist state when he led a 1959 revolution.  He ruled the island for 49 years before stepping down in 2008 due to poor health. Under his governance over the past two decades, Cuba has displayed a lot of improvements.

On Wednesday, Castro arrived for his meeting with the pope in his green Mercedes SUV amid heavy security that included armed guards in a phalanx of surrounding black Mercedes cars.

He was supported by two assistants as he walked slowly up the steps into the grand white building where Pope Benedict spent Tuesday night and where Pope John Paul II stayed during his 1998 visit.

"What does a pope do?" Castro asked Benedict, who is just a year, his junior. The church leader told Castro about his ministry, his frequent trips and his service to the Church, emphasizing he was happy to be in Cuba and with the warm welcome he received.

Dressed in a dark Reebok track suit, Castro told the Pope Benedict he had been watching his whole visit on television. Two of Castro’s children were also presented to the pope.

Castro handed down the reins of power four years ago to his younger brother, President Raul Castro, and he has since retired from government but he still writes columns and meets with visiting leaders. He also told the church leader he spends most of his time reading and reflecting on the state of the world.

Posted by James Fried on Saturday March 31 2012, 3:59 AM EST. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0