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HAVANA, Jan 27
(Reuters) - Cuba's Communist authorities thanked the people of Havana on Tuesday
for the "massive and disciplined'' welcome they gave Pope John Paul during
his historic visit to the island, state news agency AIN said.
The capital's Communist party and government sent a message to the people
praising their high turnout and warm reception for the Pope, who spent five days
in Cuba on a visit to boost the local Roman Catholic Church, AIN said.
"In the letter, it is explained that hundreds of millions of people in
the world saw with their own eyes what the imperialists try to hide, defame and
deny: the human warmth, courtesy, solidarity and level of organization of the
Cuban people,'' the agency added.
The Pontiff received his biggest welcome in Havana, where at least 300,000
people attended Sunday's Mass in Revolution Square, the last of four services he
presided over throughout the Caribbean island.
Boosting the Roman Catholic Church's efforts to ensure a good turnout for
the masses, President Fidel Castro had urged Cubans a few days before the Pope
arrived to attend the events as a show of respect.
The government's message of thanks said the Pope's visit provided "unforgettable
moments'' as "men and women of different creeds, but with a common ideal of
human and patriotic improvement, accompanied his Holiness through the streets
that he passed, in the places he visited, and respectfully listened to his
messages.''
Although the Pope's visit had been billed as a potentially explosive clash
between Castro and a religious leader dubbed the "exterminating angel'' of
communism, the Pontiff's meetings with the Cuban president and his public events
passed off smoothly.
Despite their mutual courtesy together, however, both men made clear their
political differences in speeches during the visit.
About 2.2 million of Cuba's 11 million inhabitants live in Havana. ^REUTERS@
19:19 01-27-98
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