Havana, Cuba, Apr 10, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Following the funeral mass of Pope John Paul II April 8, Cubans inaugurated their first-ever photo exhibit of the late pontiff at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana's Revolution Square.
The 56-photo exhibit, which includes photos of President Fidel Castro’s official visit with Pope John Paul at the Vatican in 1996 and the Pope’s visit to Cuba two years later, will run until April 22. It also features coins and medals commemorating John Paul’s 26-year pontificate.
According to Periodico 26, the exhibition was inaugurated by the director of the Jose Marti Program, Armando Hart Davalos, in the presence of Culture Minister Abel Prieto, other Communist Party officials and the papal nuncio in Cuba, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi.
Havana historian Eusebio Leal stressed that Pope John Paul II was a sincere friend of Cuba, reported Periodico 26. He said the late pontiff’s legacy will transcend the ages.