Following up on Pope John Paul II's visit last month, Cuba's Roman Catholic bishops have called for broader discussions with the government of President Fidel Castro and an increased role for the church in helping the island's needy.

The bishops also invited the exile community to contribute to Cuba's progress in ``a climate of positive dialogue and mutual understanding.''

The bishops' message is contained in a document titled Open Your Hearts to Christ, circulated in Cuba this week and released worldwide by the Vatican on Friday.

``The church wishes to broaden and increase a frank dialogue with the institutions of state and the autonomous organs of civilian life,'' the document says, and to intensify its social service to society, ``especially those with the greatest need.''

At the same time, the bishops invite Cubans who live outside the island ``who for various reasons have left the homeland yet still feel that they are children of Cuba . . . [to] cooperate with serenity and in a constructive and respectful spirit to the progress of the nation.''

Referring to John Paul's visit to Cuba Jan. 21-25, the bishops thank all those who helped make the visit a success, ``from the nation's highest authorities -- who extended exquisite treatment to the Holy Father -- to the humblest workers.''

``The national jubilation and the festival of faith we lived during the papal visit cannot remain as a parenthesis to Cuban history, as a beautiful and indelible though nostalgic moment, but should nurture a permanent reflection that will lead to the renewal of Cuban life,'' the message said.

Recognizing the diversity of Cuban society, the bishops write that ``when the Holy Father says Cuba has a Christian soul, he doesn't mean that the Cuban culture is wholly Christian, which is something different.''

The values of the Gospel ``are not exclusive of Christians and do not contradict the nature of the human being,'' the bishops say. ``On the contrary, they dignify it.'' Therefore, ``the Church does not proselytize when it proclaims, preaches and defends these values.''

Alluding to Protestant churches in Cuba, the bishops express a desire for a ``healthy cooperation with the other Christian denominations.''

The message highlights other elements of the Pope's speeches, such as his condemnation of neoliberalism and his advocacy of the struggle for justice.

One of the Pope's injunctions, the bishops say, is to uphold ``justice and freedom, without permitting either to be pushed to the background, which is the greatest challenge facing many political systems today.''