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Jan 3, 2008 9:01 am US/Eastern

Vatican's Secretary Of State To Visit Cuba

Trip Will Mark 10th Anniversary Of Pope John Paul II's Historic Visit

HAVANA, CUBA (CBS4) ― To mark the tenth anniversary of Pope John Paul II's historic pilgrimage to Cuba, the Vatican's Number Two official plans to meet with Cuba's acting president when he visits the island next month.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone is the Holy See's secretary of state. His trip will be the highest level visit by a Vatican official to Cuba during Pope Benedict the Sixteenth's tenure. It's not clear whether Bertone also plans to visit with the ailing Fidel Castro, who welcomed John Paul in Havana in January 1998.

During that visit, many had predicted that the pope's visit would trigger major changes in the communist-run state. But Cuba's Catholic Church has made only some gains. Catholic leaders were allowed to speak or write in state media, but religious schools have remained closed.

(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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