If part of what John Paul II sought to accomplish in Cuba was to give the Church a voice, he has done so: Cuban bishops who welcomed the pontiff at his provincial stops took the opportunity to speak boldly and forcefully about the lack of fundamental freedoms on the island.

On Saturday, Santiago Archbishop Pedro Meurice Estiu greeted the pope to the eastern city and issued what many describe as the most explicit criticism of Cuba's one-party rule broadcast on national television in nearly four decades, blaming the erosion of the Cuban church's strength on ``the ideological confrontation with state-imposed Marxism-Leninism.''

The previous day, during John Paul II's visit to Camaguey, Monsignor Adolfo Rodriguez had been equally explicit in thanking the pope on behalf of all his fellow citizens, including ``those unable to come because they are in prison.''

Sign of approval

Significantly, the two bishops drew applause from their audiences -- a particularly bold sign of approval from the crowds, considering the audience included some in high government positions.

Meurice, 65, spoke at the beginning of the pope's Mass before an estimated 100,000 people who included Defense Minister Raul Castro and Culture Minister Abel Prieto.

``For many years, the Cuban people have defended with true dignity the sovereignty of its geographic borders, but we have forgotten to some extent that this independence must come from a personal human sovereignty,'' Meurice stated.

Lashing out at government

Toward the end of his speech, Meurice addressed one of the most touchy issues for the Fidel Castro regime -- the Cuban exiles, who until a few years ago were described by the Cuban leader as ``worms.''

``There is another reality I must bring to your attention: The nation lives here and lives in the diaspora,'' Meurice said. ``The [average] Cuban suffers, lives and waits here, and also suffers, lives and waits out there.

``We are one people . . . who continue looking for the unity that will never be the product of uniformity, but from a common soul that is shared and derives from diversity.''

Such direct Church criticism of the government's totalitarian ways -- and in front of such a big audience -- is a novelty in Cuba.

Unlike the Chilean Church during Gen. Augusto Pinochet's rule or the Nicaraguan Church during the Sandinista regime, the Cuban Church has been relatively coy in its confrontation with the Castro regime. Cuban priests say this is because the Cuban Church, with only 272 priests, has been much weaker than its counterparts in Chile or Nicaragua.

Reason for harsh words

While Meurice is a low-key man who had never before made headlines, his harsh words Saturday did not come as a surprise to those who have known him for years. The bishop's province of Santiago is one of Cuba's poorest and most ignored by the central government in Havana.

``There is more misery, more suffering, more neglect there,'' said Maria Cristina Herrera, a professor at Miami-Dade Community College with close ties to the Cuban Church hierarchy. ``The influx of tourism dollars that is benefiting Havana and Varadero is not getting to Santiago.''

It was in Meurice's jurisdiction, in the town of Palma Soriano, that parish priest Jose Conrado Rodriguez made news in 1996 by denouncing the Castro regime's totalitarian ways. Rodriguez was later invited by the Church hierarchy in Havana to take a few years off to pursue a graduate degree in Spain.

Ties to South Florida

Others note that Meurice's special reference to the exiles may be influenced by his personal history: His mother died in Miami, and five of his siblings are living in exile. Meurice last visited South Florida late last year, when one of his sisters underwent open-heart surgery.

Camaguey bishop Rodriguez Herrera, 73, who during the Mass Friday had a word of comfort for prisoners and said the Cuban people ``fear division more than diversity,'' also has a sister in Miami.

The consensus among Cuban Church watchers is that the pope's main message in his first speech upon arriving in Cuba last Wednesday -- ``Don't be afraid'' -- has been taken to heart by the Cuban bishops.

Emboldened by the Pope's presence and by the opportunity to reach an unprecedented number of Cubans through television, they are willing to push the limits of Cuban state censorship.

They know that whatever space they fail to conquer for themselves now will be difficult to gain once the pope leaves their midst.