43 Pope Benedict XVI departs Cuba

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(29 Mar 2012) 1. Various of Popemobile driving through streets lined with people and security officials watching over them • 2. Jose Marti International Airport • 3. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Raul Castro, President of Cuba: • We acknowledge the patriotic contribution of the Cuban emigrants. From the decisive support the tobacco farmers of Tampa and Cayo Hueso gave to our independence and from all of those who backed the dreams of Jose Marti to those men who nowadays oppose those who attack Cuba and manipulate the immigration issue with political goals. • 4. Castro greeting Pope Benedict XVI • 5. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Pope Benedict XVI: • That the light of the Lord who has shone bright these days doesn't fade away in the souls of those who have opened their doors to him. May God help all to achieve harmony and may He help the Cuban soul to develop its more noble values on top on which it is possible to build a renewed and reconciled society of wide horizons. May nobody be forbidden to join this enthralling task by getting their fundamental rights restricted nor for indolence or lacking of material resources. This situation gets aggravated when restrictive economic measures imposed from outside the country negatively affect the citizens. • 6. Pope and Raul Castro posing together for photographers, Castro greets Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State • 7. Wide of Alitalia plane carrying Pope back to Rome on the tarmac • 8. Benedict XVI saying goodbye to Castro before walking up staircase • 9. Various of Pope getting into plane • STORYLINE • Pope Benedict XVI departed Cuba on Wednesday evening after driving in his Popemobile along the streets lined with onlookers toward the airport. • Before he left he asked for God's help for the Cuban soul to develop its more noble values on top on which it is possible to build a renewed and reconciled society of wide horizons. • The Pope posed in front of photographers with Cuban president Raul Castro, who also met Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State. • Castro thanked the Pontiff for his visit and unexpectedly focused his speech on the Cuban exiles. • Castro said they acknowledged the patriotic contribution of the Cuban emigrants . • He mentioned in his speech the contribution that many Cuban rich farmers living in the US made to Cuba's war of Independence against Spain in the 19th century but also included the most recent waves of Cuban emigrants who nowadays oppose those who attack Cuba and manipulate the immigration issue with political goals. • The first waves of Cuban emigrants who left the island in the decade after Fidel Castro's arrival to power in 1959 are fervent backers of the embargo and staunchly oppose any sort of contact or negotiation with the Cuban Communist Regime • Meanwhile those who have left in recent years, specially due to economic reasons after the fall of the Soviet Union, have different political views and favour a softening in US-Cuban relations. • Pope Benedict who has repeatedly talked during his visit about the need to reconcile Cubans in and outside the island called again for a renewed and reconciled society of wide horizons. • He immediately added after that may nobody be forbidden to join this enthralling task by getting their fundamental rights restricted , an indirect suggestion to the Cuban government. • He also addressed anew the issue of the 50-year U.S. Economic saying that it is an obstacle to any attempt by the Cubans to achieve a change on their own. • A black car took the pontiff onto the tarmac, where he walked up the stairs, waved briefly and went inside. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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