Arab world hails pope

• April 3,  2005 | Havana | 06:35 a.m. ET

Recalling historic visit

Mary Murray

Cubans offered tears of sympathy and words of praise for Pope John Paul II, who succeeded in building a bridge of tolerance between Cuba’s communist government and the island’s Catholic community.

“After closely watching news of the Pope’s health the Cuban government and people share the pain of Catholics in Cuba and all over the world... We will never forget the pope’s visit here in 1998… his words for peace…  his courtesy to president Fidel Castro when he visited the Vatican,” said Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque just 30 minutes after the pope’s passing. Perez Roque confirmed that a “high-level government delegation” planned to attend the funeral without saying if that included Castro.

During the pope’s historic 1998 visit to Cuba, Lucia Alvarez stood for hours in front of her church, Havana’s El Ermita de los Catalones parish, to catch a glimpse of the “Popemobile.”

“That visit strengthened my faith,” she remembers. “He was an inspirational man who came and showed his concern for the Cuban people, the poor, the forgotten.”

The papal visit lasted just five days but, according to Alvarez, helped to erase 40 years of hostility between her church and the government. “He made me proud to be a Catholic,” she said, weeping.

The pontiff was not only responsible for the release of 500 political prisoners and reinstating Christmas as an official holiday on the island but for the transmission of four open-air masses over the government-owned television and radio. Religious broadcasting is prohibited over Cuban airwaves and, until 1992, the constitution characterized the state as “atheist.”

Below a massive portrait of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Plaza of the Revolution and speaking to over a million that included Fidel Castro and the entire Communist Party Politburo, Pope John Paul II launched moral criticisms at both Havana and Washington. He pleaded with Castro for to allow “justice, freedom and human rights” while admonishing the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba as “unjust and ethically unacceptable.”

Marta Moya, a translator, was one of millions of Cubans who watched every papal appearance on the island and appreciated the pope’s plea for reconciliation. “Being a pope is not as easy as you think,” she said. “You have to take positions on political issues and I think he accomplished that with a lot of dignity.

With the local media reporting few details from the Vatican, Cuban Catholics on Friday tried tuning to Miami radio stations for updates on the Pontiff’s condition.

By nightfall, they learned firsthand from their cardinal, Jaime Ortega, that the pontiff was indeed on the verge of death. Cuban authorities had given the cardinal six minutes of unprecedented airtime on the national newscast.

The only other occasion Ortega had appeared on Cuban television dated back to January 1998, on the eve of the papal visit to the island.

• April 3,  2005 | Islamabad| 06:45 a.m. ET

Bringing different faiths closer
President General Pervez Musharraf in his message of condolence over the death of Pope John Paul II said the pope II had rendered incredible services for peace. “

The Pope had brought people closer “belonging to different faiths” said Musharraf, who has been promoting the idea of “enlightened moderation” among the Muslims all over the world and is known as an advocate of “east-west dialogue.”

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in his message said the pope would be remembered for a long time for his services to people.

The right-wing conservative party Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Qazi Hussein Ahmed credited Pope John Paul II with playing historic role in bringing peace and tranquility amongst different religions.

“The pope kept a constant contact with various religious leaders including Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan to peace global peace”  Qazi said in a statement.

He said the pope sent out a Vatican City to Pakistan last year to discuss intra-religious harmony and invited his party leaders to visit Vatican. “I feel sorry now for not being able to travel to Vatican on the invitation” Qazi said.

He said Pope John Paul II was a broadminded leader who supported the family values advocated by Islam, especially the role of women in the society and their rights.  “We greatly admire him for his services to humanity and his advocacy for religious tolerance” Qazi said.

By Asif Farooqi

MORE FROM POPE REMEMBERED

Pope remembered Section Front

Images: Final farewell for Pope John Paul II   Images: A historic papacy   Images: Paying respects to late pontiff   Images: Mourning Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II remembered NBC: Perhaps ‘Saint John Paul? Benedict watches movie about John Paul II Live Vote: Sainthood for John Paul? Quiz: How much do you remember? Pope remembered Section Front   Add Pope remembered headlines to your news reader: