DAILY CATHOLIC for December 17
NEWS & VIEWS
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vol, 8
no. 54

CASTRO ANNOUNCES SPECIAL MEETING WITH CUBAN BISHOPS
      HAVANA (CWN) - Cuban Communist President Fidel Castro announced on state television on Sunday that he will hold a landmark meeting with the country's Catholic bishops as part of preparations for the Pope John Paul's visit next month.

      In over an hour of televised remarks to parliament, Castro outlined plans for the papal visit and announced that the officially atheist government would allow the celebration of Christmas for this year. Although Castro has met with his country's bishops during meetings with Vatican representatives, the planned meetings would be the first with just Cuba's hierarchy in decades.

      Castro said the Communist government was taking extraordinary steps to ensure that the papal visit is a success, including allocating nearly half the country's public transportation for pilgrims wishing to attend the four papal Masses. "We want the Pope to go home to Rome with the impression that this is the best visit he has made to any country," he said.

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December 17, 1997       volume 8, no. 54
NEWS & VIEWS



December 1997