‘Springtime of faith’ comes to Castro’s Cuba

The Pope’s visit to Cuba is another milestone for a country still wary of religion but any change will come slowly, writes David Adams

THIS week’s three-day visit to Cuba by Pope Benedict marked another milestone in the Roman Catholic Church’s cautious efforts to expand its role in the communist-run island. Havana’s cardinal Jaime Ortega called it a “springtime of faith”.

While it remains unclear if or how the visit will change anything in Cuba, most analysts agree any notion of a “Cuban Spring” in terms of political change is still a long way off.