Pope Benedict will arrive Monday in Cuba to shore up the growing influence of the Roman Catholic Church in the once-atheist nation.
Benedict will be greeted later Monday by President Raul Castro at the airport in Cuba's second largest city, Santiago. His visit will mark the 400th anniversary of the religious icon, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, venerated by many Cubans, regardless of their faith.
The pope arrives at time when church-state relations are warming. The Roman Catholic Church has grown to become the most influential institution behind the government since Havana lifted a ban on religion two decades ago. The church acted as an interlocutor on issues including political prisoners and dissidents.
Pope Benedict set the tone for his trip Friday when he told reporters the Catholic Church is ready to help Cuba move away from communism. He said the Marxist ideology no longer corresponds to reality, and he offered the Church's help to move Cuba ahead without "trauma."
As Cubans prepare for the arrival of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, dissidents remain hopeful they will be able to present him their views of the communist government.
In Santiago, at least 15 members of the Ladies in White, a prominent dissident group, have been detained. The group is made up of wives and mothers of 75 dissidents jailed in a 2003 crackdown on Fidel Castro's opponents. Each week, the women, dressed in white, march in Havana to demand the release of political prisoners. The Ladies in White, along with many other people, have asked for an audience with the Pope during his visit.
But the Archbishop of Santiago told VOA the Pope's time is limited.
"Many people came to give us lots of requests, lots, you can't imagine how many. One said: 'I'm having problems with my home, and I believe the Holy Father can help me.' Others have participated in this call from the Ladies in White. We have channeled these requests," said Rev. Dionisio Garcia Ibanez, Archbishop of Santiago.
A group that monitors detentions on the island says 70 government opponents have been arrested in the four days leading up to the pontiff's visit. <!--IMAGE-RIGHT--> Benedict will celebrate Mass in Santiago before heading to the capital, Havana, to complete his three-day visit. It is unclear whether he will meet with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is in the Cuban capital for cancer treament.
Cuba is the last stop on the pontiff's five-day Latin American trip that began last week in Mexico.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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