By Eloy O. Aguilar, Associated Press
Castro extended unusual warmth to the Roman Catholic Church and
the pope, calling the Jan. 21-25 visit an "honor for Cuba and a
valiant gesture'' in a nationally televised speech Sunday.
It was the strongest sign of Castro's resolve to ensure the
pope's visit -- the first visit ever by a Roman Catholic pontiff to
this Caribbean island -- is trouble-free.
"I made this proposal ... as a gesture for the pope and for all
Christians,'' Castro said. But he stressed that Christmas would be
an official holiday for one year only.
Castro emphasized he personally invited the pope and angrily
rejected suggestions by his foes in the United States that his
government was threatening workers who attend the papal Masses.
"The pope is our guest,'' Castro said. "We will do everything
to the hilt to ensure that the visit will be historic ... that he
will be fully satisfied with the visit.''
Because the government tightly controls the economy, not
everyone will get the vacation day. The Labor Ministry is expected
to make a formal announcement specifying which sectors of the
economy will be expected to work.
Still, Cubans were thrilled by Castro's proposal, announced
during a pre-dawn session of the Cuban Parliament, that Christmas
would once again be a holiday in this former atheist nation.
"It's a real act of goodwill on the part of the government,''
said Luis Gonzalez, who works at offices of the Cuban Bishops'
Conference, housed at Santa Rita parish.
"The government will be recognizing the wishes of a large
sector'' of society, Gonzalez said.
When Castro stopped off in Rome last year, the pontiff, through
his secretary of state, asked Castro to declare Dec. 25 a national
holiday in Cuba.
At a news conference in Havana on Dec. 9, Cuban Cardinal Jaime
Ortega reminded Castro of the pope's request. There was no response
until Sunday.
Castro's government embraced official atheism in 1962 and the
Christmas holiday itself officially disappeared in 1969. Castro
said then it was interfering with the 1970 sugar harvest.
For years, a Christmas tree in the window could raise the
suspicions of local party officials.
But the government eliminated formal restrictions on religious
worship in 1991 and each Dec. 25 since then has seen an increasing
number of Christmas trees and family parties, although it remains a
day of work.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said Castro's
announcement about Christmas was a "decision much-desired by the
Cuban people and the church,'' Italy's ANSA news service said.
Castro also promised to respect several church requests: to
provide space in government-run media to publicize the visit, and
to provide transporation to those who want to attend the four papal
Masses.
"We have set no conditions'' for the pontiff's visit, Castro
said, referring to speculation that he asked John Paul to intercede
with the United States to lift its decades-old economic embargo on
Cuba.
"The pope should feel free to address anything he wants to in
Cuba,'' Castro said.
© 1997 Associated Press