In what some have labeled the last great political encounter of the century, two of the world’s best-known, strong-willed individuals will meet in Havana to possibly determine the future of some 12 million people who have been living under one of the last communist dictatorships for some 35 years now.
Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Pope John Paul II will no doubt butt heads–one a diehard atheist, the other the leader of some 900 million Catholics around the world, many of whom reside in communist Cuba.
Although the pope seems to have the upper hand, due to the recent fall of communism in Europe and the resulting current Cuban economic crisis, the pontiff’s failing health may play a significant role in the outcome of this historic meeting.
As I read the article titled “When the pope visits Cuba” (Parade, Dec. 14), I couldn’t help but be reminded of another conference that also determined the faith of millions of people some 52 years ago–one that opened the door to Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
A seriously ill President Franklin Roosevelt, with everything seemingly in his favor, was allowed by his aides and associates, who were surely aware of his declining mental and physical health but did little to intervene, to bargain away millions of lives at Yalta.
The American people paid dearly for that enormous blunder for the next half century with countless billions of dollars and thousands of American lives wasted fighting flareups around the world because of a rejuvenated communist power bloc.
Though this Cuban get-together can be considered minuscule in comparison to the Yalta Conference, nevertheless the lives of millions of human beings are hanging in the balance.
Although I’m a great admirer of the pope and firmly believe he was largely responsible for the distintegration of the Soviet empire, I cringe every time I catch a glimpse of his obviously declining health and wonder about his upcoming confrontation with this shrewd dictator, who has somehow managed to stay in power long after his Soviet benefactors have fallen from grace.
