By Frances Kerry
HAVANA, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Cardinal Jaime Ortega warned Cubans on Saturday not to expect too much from the papal visit to the island next month, telling them they should not be thinking of economic or political results.
"Don't let yourselves be swept away by political or economic considerations,'' Ortega told hundreds of enthusiastic young Roman Catholics packed into a Havana church for a meeting to prepare for the Jan. 21-25 visit. He said people should be wary of thinking that the visit by Pope John Paul might, for example, improve hostile relations between Communist-ruled Cuba and the United States.
Ortega, who is archbishop of Havana, said the most important point about the visit was that it would boost Cubans' religious faith. What the Pope was bringing was an inner peace that did not consist of material gain, he added.
People wondered what the effects of the visit would be, he said. "The fruits of the visit are not afterwards, they are already here,'' he said, adding that these consisted of an awakened interest among Cubans in religion.
The Pope's trip to Cuba, the only Spanish-speaking Latin American country he has not yet visited, was agreed to at a meeting in November 1996 between the Pontiff and Cuban President Fidel Castro. That encounter marked a clear improvement in ties between the church and state, which have been periodically strained since Castro's 1959 revolution.
Castro's government, stressing it wants to ensure the success of the visit, has also made several concessions to the church ahead of the trip. These include a decision by Castro to reinstate, at least for this year, Christmas Day as a public holiday after 28 years.
State-run media also published in full a papal message to the Cuban people just before Christmas. The message included a call for the church to be able to continue to enjoy increasing latitude in Cuba after his visit.
Ortega described the publication of the message as something "incredible'' for the Cuban people. The cardinal was applauded raucously as he took the stage in Jesus de Miramar church after several hours of carol singing by a folk group.
Many young people in the congregation wore T-shirts with a drawing of the Pope and a child and waved banners.
Ortega, touching on themes the Pope is bound to address during his five-day stay, told young people to steer away from the escapism of what he called drug-taking or sex as a "game'' rather than a part of family life.
Religious faith could play a key role as the young look for meaning in their lives, he said.
The crowd chanted enthusiastically as he reminded them that they were almost at the moment where they could shout "Juan Pablo Segundo, te quiere todo el mundo.'' The rhyming chant, heard wherever the Pope goes in the Spanish-speaking world, means "John Paul the Second, Everyone loves you.''
In an incident possibly related to the papal visit, a small explosive device, probably a firecracker, exploded before dawn Saturday at the church of Merced in old Havana. It caused no injuries or damage. REUTERS
17:02 12-27-97