By PABLO ALFONSO
Herald Staff Writer
Pope John Paul II will visit Cuba next year, said Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, Tuesday in the Cuban capital.
``I officially announce that the pope will come to Cuba. He will say a Sunday morning Mass in Havana,'' Ortega told thousands of worshipers at the Church of St. Lazarus during a ceremony marking the feast of the church's namesake.
The congregation burst into cheers, applause and shouts of ``Long live the pope!''
Although the exact date of the visit has not been officially announced, preparations for it appear to be in full swing.
The main indication is Monsignor Riccardo Tucci's visit to Havana, set for Feb. 20. The prelate, a Vatican specialist in planning and protocol, will coordinate the logistics of the papal visit with Cuban authorities, from personal protection for the pope to ground transportation for the faithful.
``It is a key visit, because Monsignor Tucci leaves the Vatican only to put the finishing touches to papal trips,'' said a Vatican source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another hint is the planned visit to Cuba, Jan. 2-6, of Cardinal Camilo Ruini, vicar to the pope and president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy.
Ruini is expected to meet with the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba and visit several dioceses on the island.
Copyright © 1996 The Miami Herald