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Pope advocates peace, freedom in final Mass

Pope John Paul II gives his homily

January 25, 1998
Web posted at: 2:51 p.m. EST (1951 GMT)

HAVANA (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II, celebrating the largest Mass of his five-day Cuban visit, called for peace and justice and prompted chants of "freedom" from among a crowd of tens of thousands in Havana's Revolution Square.

In his homily, often interrupted by warm applause, the pope said the message of his trip and of the Roman Catholic Church was one "of love and solidarity."

"In no way is this an ideology or a new economic or political system; rather it is a path of authentic peace, justice and freedom," he said.

Highlights from the ceremony
	3.9MB/50 sec./240x180 1.8MB/50 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

Chants of freedom rang out in the square -- where Cuban Communist leader Fidel Castro was sitting in the front row -- when the pope called for religious freedom and criticized both state atheism and unfettered capitalism.

When he called for freedom of conscience, "the basis and foundation of all other human rights" he was answered by a chant: "The pope wants us all free."

"The state, while distancing itself from all forms of fanaticism or secularism, should encourage a harmonious social climate and a suitable legislation which enables every person and every religious confession to live their faith freely," the pope said.

Thousands converged on the Revolution Square early Sunday for the final open-air Mass

But John Paul also delivered a stinging condemnation of what he called capitalism's "blind market forces."

Because of these forces, he said, "we thus see a small number of countries growing exceedingly rich at the cost of the increasing impoverishment of a great number of other countries. As a result the wealthy grow even wealthier, while the poor grow even poorer."

A 20-story-high icon of Che Guevara, the Cuban revolution's own secular saint, stared across Revolution Square in one direction. A newly painted image of Christ, dominating the altar, stared in another.

In the strongest political message of his Cuba trip, the pontiff appealed Saturday to Cuba's communist government to release dozens of political prisoners.

The pope asked for the release of all "prisoners of conscience" on this communist island and respect for three freedoms -- of expression, initiative and association.

The pope visited a leper hospital in El Rincon

His appeal came during a dramatic evening pilgrimage to the leper home and religious center of St. Lazarus, outside Havana, where he spoke to health workers, lepers and AIDS patients.

"Suffering is not only physical," said the 77-year-old pontiff, who is impaired by a variety of ailments and injuries.

"There is also suffering of the soul, such as we see in those who are isolated, persecuted, imprisoned for various offenses or for reasons of conscience, for ideas which, though dissident, are nonetheless peaceful."

He said he encouraged efforts to return these "prisoners of conscience" to society.

Human rights groups say Cuba holds at least 500 political prisoners.

On Thursday, the second day of the pope's five-day visit, Vatican officials asked for clemency on behalf of several hundred Cuban prisoners, both political detainees and common criminals.

Correspondents Christiane Amanpour, Brent Sadler, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Follow the Pope's visit day-by-day:   Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5

Icons at the Crossroads  |  Cuba and Catholicism  |  An Exile Returns
Testing the Embargo  |  Live Webcasts  |  The Struggling Revolution  |  Related links

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