JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
KING FELIPE 6TH OF SPAIN NEWS
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/king-felipe-6th-of-spain-at-white-house.html
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A DOUBLE SOLAR ECLIPSE ON ROSH HASHANA
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/a-double-eclipse-occurred-for-first.html
DOUBLE JUDGEMENTS HITS CHILE WITH 7.0 AND 8.3 QUAKES-QUICKLY
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/at-least-11-dead-now-in-chile-double.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/it-looks-like-my-hunch-was-correct.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/a-double-eclipse-occurred-for-first.html
THE POPE CAN SOLVE THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM-GOOD LUCK
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-pope-comes-to-cuba-today-for-few.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/king-felipe-6th-of-spain-at-white-house.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-us-and-its-immigration-mess-pope.html
A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
VATICAN RELATED TWITTERS
https://twitter.com/FatherRosica
https://twitter.com/pontifex
https://twitter.com/hashtag/PapaEnCuba?src=hash
https://twitter.com/officialvatican
https://twitter.com/VaticanInsider?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
CATHOLIC NEWS PAPERS
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/
http://www.catholicnews.com/index.cfm
THE POPE LIVE IN CUBA - AMERICA SEPT 19-28,15 -EWTN TV
http://www.ewtn.com/multimedia/live_player.asp
09/20/2015-VATICAN INSIDER-Francis’ face-to-face meeting with Fidel-Francis passes before an image of Fidel Castro-The Pope has paid a visit to the “líder máximo” at his residence, which has been turned into a private clinic. Francis gave him a CD with the preachings of Fr. Armando Llorente, the Jesuit who taught Castro. The meeting lasted just over half an hour-ANDREA TORNIELLI
L'Avana-Francis has held a face-to-face meeting with Fidel. After celebrating mass in Plaza de la Revolución, the Pope met the “líder máximo” in his home-turned-clinic. Fidel handed over the reins of power to his brother Raúl seven years ago, due to his ailing health.The director of the Vatican press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, announced the news, explaining that the visit lasted just over half an hour, the same amount of time Benedict XVI had spent with him during his visit three years ago. “Francis arrived at Fidel’s residence with a small entourage”. He was waiting for Francis with his relatives, his wife Dalia and his grandchildren. The climate “was cordial and informal”.At the end of his meeting with Ratzinger back in 2012, Castro had asked the then Pope to recommend him a book to read. Francis remembered this and brought him two books by Don Alessandro Pronzato, a priest and catechesis expert: the first is about good mood and joy as important elements of spiritual life and the second, titled "La nostra bocca si aprì al sorriso. Umorismo e fede" (“Our mouth opened up to smiling. Humour and faith”) and the second is titled “Vangeli scomodi” (“Uncomfortable Gospels”). The Pope also gave him a book and two CDs with the homilies of Fr. Armando Llorente, the Jesuit priest who had taught Castro at the Belén Jesuit preparatory school. Finally, Francis gave him copies of his Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” and his more recent “Laudato Si’” encyclical.FR. Lombardi said topics discussed included “protection of the environment and the great problems faced by today’s world”. Castro presented the Pope with a personally inscribed book titled “Fidel y la Religión” (“Fidel and Religion”). The inscription read: “To Pope Francis on the occasion of his fraternal visit to Cuba.” Fr. Lombardi informed that the Vatican will not be publishing any photographs, out of respect for the informal
Pope arrives in Cuba calling for freedom, better U.S.-Cuba relations-By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service-9.19.2015 6:06 PM ET
HAVANA (CNS) -- Pope Francis began his visit to Cuba praying for greater freedom for the island's people and calling on U.S. and Cuban politicians to continue moving toward fully normal and neighborly relations.Meeting President Raul Castro and speaking before a small crowd at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport Sept. 19, Pope Francis said the Cuban-U.S. rapprochement announced in December is "an event which fills us with hope" after decades of tensions and a 55-year-old economic embargo against Cuba.The new U.S.-Cuban relationship, which leaders of both countries said the pope had a role in facilitating, are "a sign of the victory of the culture of encounter and dialogue," Pope Francis said."I urge political leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called to carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples, of all America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world," the pope said.Briefly straying from his prepared text, the pope said, "Our world needs this reconciliation at this time of the 'third world war,' which is being fought in stages," with multiple small conflicts going on simultaneously.Castro told the pope that the full normalization of relations with the United States "will demand resolving problems and correcting injustices."The economic embargo, established by the United States in 1960, "is cruel, immoral and illegal, and it should cease," Castro said. He also insisted the U.S. return the land on which the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is constructed.Highlighting the 80th anniversary of Vatican-Cuban diplomatic relations and the visits of St. John Paul II in 1998 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, Pope Francis also encouraged the Cuban government to continue giving greater freedom to the Catholic Church in the communist country."Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and friendship, so that the church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in their hopes and concerns, with the freedom, means and space needed" to proclaim the Gospel, especially to people on the margins of society.St. John Paul's historic visit was hosted in part by Raul Castro's brother Fidel, who led the country for more than 45 years. When Pope Benedict visited the country 14 years later, he made a point of visiting with the ailing Fidel.At the airport welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis publicly asked the president "to convey my sentiments of particular respect and consideration to your brother Fidel." Although no date or time was announced, Pope Francis also was expected to meet with Fidel Castro.The Cuban church described Pope Francis as a "missionary of mercy" to Cuba, where he was scheduled to stay until flying to the United States Sept. 22. In addition to Havana, the pope also was to visit Holguin and Santiago de Cuba with its nearby shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.Our Lady of Charity, he said, "has accompanied the history of the Cuba people, sustaining the hope which preserves people's dignity in the most difficult situations and championing the promotion of all that gives dignity to the human person."The pope said he would be visiting the shrine "as a son and a pilgrim to pray to our Mother for all her Cuban children and for this beloved nation, that it may travel the paths of justice, peace, liberty and reconciliation."Shortly after his Alitalia plane took off from Rome's Fiumicino airport for the 11-hour flight to Havana, Pope Francis walked to the back of the plane to greet the 76 members of the media traveling with him to both Cuba and the United States.Peace was on his mind as he set off from Rome, he said.Just before leaving the Vatican, he said, he met the Syrian family of refugees being hosted by the Vatican's St. Anne's parish."Today the world is thirsting for peace," the pope told reporters. "There are wars, there are migrants who are fleeing, this wave of migration that comes from wars, fleeing death and seeking life.""I was moved and became very emotional" meeting the family, he said. "You could see the pain in their faces."Pope Francis thanked the journalists "for all you do in your work to build bridges, small bridges of peace, because each bridge, each little bridge, one after the other, makes a big bridge of peace."The pope also said he knew the Sept. 19-28 trip would be challenging professionally for the media."If I'm not mistaken," he said, "I think this is the longest trip I have made -- one day longer than Brazil (in 2013). You will have a lot of work to do," he said.
09/20/2015 -VATICAN INSIDER-It’s empanadas all round for those on board the papal flight-Francis with the journalists who travelled with him on the papal flight-During the papal flight to Cuba, a journalist from Univision gave the Pope a box of empanadas prepared at a restaurant in Miami: the Pope had them defrosted, cut into small pieces and passed around to all journalists on board-andrea tornielli
on the flight from rome to havana-As has become customary, Pope Francis greeted each and every one of the journalists accompanying him on the flight bound for Cuba and then the US. He addressed a few words to them, speaking above all about how touched he was by the gesture of one of the two families of Syrian refugees being hosted in the Vatican, who came to bid him farewell before he set off on his journey. After this, Francis started going from seat to seat. He spent over half an hour speaking to the journalists (75 of them) in the rear of the plane, before coming away loaded with books, gifts, trophies, letters, tickets and tributes and having had a number of selfies taken.Andrés Beltramo Alvarez, who writes for Mexican news agency Notimex and Vatican Insider, played a message one of his two daughters had left for the Pope on his smartphone. France Presse’s Jean-Louis de la Vassiere, gave Francis a copy of her latest book about him. TV2000’s correspondent, Cristiana Caricato showed Bergoglio some emoticons that depict Francis in fun cartoon form, to which he responded: “I look much better there than in real life.” Another journalist representing Telemundo, presented him with a copy of the Emmy Award it won for its excellent coverage of the Conclave, while Argentina’s Elisabetta Piqué, gave him a box of Argentinian dulce de leche.Along with the dozens of letters he received, Francis was also given a big box tied together with a blue ribbon. It was full of empanadas, a type of meat pie that is typical in Argentina but popular throughout Latin America. The gift was given to him by Maria Antonieta Collins, a journalist from the Univision broadcasting company: while she was in Miami before returning to Rome to set off again for Cuba with the papal entourage, she stopped off at one of Miami’s top restaurants and asked for them to prepare a generous amount of empanadas, one of Bergoglio’s favourites. The empanadas stayed in a freezer in Rome for a couple of days.The Pope gave them to the Alitalia crew immediately so that they could be defrosted and offered round to everyone on board as an appetizer before lunch. They were cut into small pieces and served. In her book “Francisco. El Papa de la Gente” (“Francis. The People’s Pope”), the journalist Evangelina Himitian had described an episode that involved Francis and these famous empanadas. “I can say that I once saw him multiplying food, just as Jesus did with the bread and the fish,” she writes. It was October 2012 and the journalist was working for the press office of Catholic and Evangelical ecumenical encounters, where Bergoglio was one of the organisers. “You were not allowed to take food into the stadium where the meeting was taking place, so during the breaks, all those present had to buy something to eat in situ,” Evangelina Nimitian writes. There wasn’t much choice: all there were were empanadas, the traditional meat pies and they were not very good. It was a national holiday so no other events had been scheduled. Someone asked Bergoglio if he would rather go to have lunch in the exclusive Puerto Madero neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw away from the stadium, where there were various elegant restaurants. But he said he was going to stay and eat with all the others.”“By the time we journalists stopped to have lunch,” Evangelina goes on to say in the epilogue, “it was already getting late and there was very little left to eat. As we walked through the room where the food was being served, Bergoglio came up to us, greeted each and every one of us and thanked us for our work. We sat at the last table. The waitress brought us a plate with five empanadas but there were eight of us. Someone took the initiative and started cutting them in half. Sharing: this was the spirit of the encounter. And anyway, we had no other choice.”“Francis saw us from the other end of the room and understood. He got up and started asking other customers if they had finished eating. He retrieved the remaining empanadas from the hands of pastors and priests, put them on a plate and brought them to us. We were moved by his thoughtful gesture and felt flattered and stunned. He had multiplied the food... the man who today occupies the chair of Peter had sensed a need and fulfilled it when no one else had noticed.”
09/19/2015-vatican insider-US-Cuba thaw is “an event that fills us with hope”-The Cuban flag-In his first speech in Havana, in the presence of Raúl Castro, Francis greets Fidel, encourages the process that led to the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Washington and calls for freedom and resources for the Church in Cuba. Tomorrow Francis will meet Fidel at his residence-ANDREA TORNIELLI
in cuba-“For some months now, we have witnessed an event which fills us with hope: the process of normalizing relations between two peoples following years of estrangement.” Pope Francis has arrived in Havana, for the first leg of his transatlantic journey that takes him to Cuba and then the US. In his first speech, he encourages the thaw which occurred in recent months, spurred by Vatican diplomacy.Speaking to journalists on board the flight to Cuba, the Pope said: "the world is thirsting for peace" and mentioned the tragic waves of migration caused by war. "I was very touched because one of the families of refugees who are staying in the parish of Sant'Anna came to bid me farewell: you could see the look of pain on their faces... Thank you for all the work you are going to be doing to build bridges, even small ones."In the presence of Raúl Castro, who went to greet him at the airport, the Pope quoted the poet and journalist José Martí, the 19th century revolutionary who fought against the Spanish occupation of Cuba, affirming with his words that the thaw in US-Cuban relations marks the victory of “the system of universal growth” over “the forever-dead system of groups and dynasties”. Francis encouraged “political leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called to carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples, of all America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world.”The agreement that drew Raúl Castro and Barack Obama together, leading to the resumption of diplomatic relations, was signed in the Vatican, in the presence of the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin and Francis acted as guarantor. Now, the Pope is asking for this work to be continued and so he repeated the appeal sent out by John Paul II, who in 1998 invited Cuba, with “all its magnificent possibilities”, to open itself up to the world and the world open itself to Cuba. In his welcome speech, Raúl Castro recalled "his appreciation for the Pope's support in the process of normalisation of US-Cuban relations." "The embargo which is causing so much harm," Castro stressed, "is cruel, immoral and illegal; it needs to stop." "Guantanamo need sto be rerurned to Cuba".In his speech, Francis asked the president “to convey my sentiments of particular respect and consideration to your brother Fidel”. He then sent a special greeting to those “who, for various reasons, I will not be able to meet, and to Cubans throughout the world.” Francis spared a thought for those who are unable to take part in one of the events organised in three Cuban cities, for reasons relating to work, distance and transportation or because they are in prison.At the foot of the airplane stairs the Pope was welcomed with a floral wreathe brought to him by a couple of children. He recalled that this year marks the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Holy See. “Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and friendship, so that the Church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in its hopes and concerns, with the freedom, the means and the space needed to bring the proclamation of the Kingdom to the existential peripheries of society.”A clear reference to the problems the Church faces in terms of means and structures, despite the changes made following the previous papal visits. After John Paul II’s Cuban voyage, Fidel declared Christmas a public holiday and after Benedict XVI’s visit, Good Friday also became an official holiday.Pope Francis expressed the wish that Cuba, an “archipelago” facing all directions and has “extraordinary value” as a “key” between north and south, east and west, may increasingly come to discover “its natural vocation”: being “a point of encounter for all peoples to join in friendship”.In Cuba there is still hope for a meeting between the Pope and representatives of the opposition.Tomorrow Francis is to meet Fidel at his residence.
09/18/2015-VATICAN INSIDER-Celebrating mass beneath Che’s portrait: The Pope’s latest revolution-Workers prepare the altar for the papal mass in Havana-In Havana, Cuba, everyone is waiting for Sunday’s big event. But faithful are going to need to register to attend-PAOLO MASTROLILLI
in havana-The altar prepared for the Pope’s Sunday mass in Plaza de la Revolución, is simple. Francis will be celebrating beneath a giant image of his fellow countryman, Che Guevarra. A white canopy and a dark wooden chair upholstered in red velvet have been positioned on a yellow platform. A simple cross rises up from behind the canopy. All around are symbols of the revolution, Hasta la Victoria Siempre, the statue depicting José Martí, blend with the sober posters welcoming the Pope to Cuba. One banner, which hangs above the national Theatre depicts the Holy Father washing the feet of the neglected and welcomes him as a Misionero de la Misericordia, a missionary of mercy. Here, the Castro regime hopes to receive two gifts: backing to convince the United States to lift the embargo in light of the thaw in relations and a political message that manages to at least salvage the goals of the revolution if not its results.“LIKE OUR FATHER” Alejandro came here with his guitar beneath claps of tropical thunder, to practice the musical pieces for the mass along with other young members of the choir; “The diocesan organisers were adamant that they wanted only Cuban music. And we are happy to play it.” The 30-year-old man arrived donning glasses and an ever so slightly unkempt beard, his smiley wife at his side. He could easily be mistaken for an entertainer in some European parish: We are lucky enough to have seen two Popes already in our lifetime – John Paul II and Benedict XVI – but I must admit, this time it is different. We feel Francis much closer to us. Maybe it’s because he’s Latin, he speaks Spanish and he comes from our culture, but it’s like meeting our father. And then there’s everything he’s done.” Meaning? “The revival of relations with the US. I don’t know if people on the outside can see this, but for us it means that there is a hope our lives may really change now. And we know that it would not have happened without him.”PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME IN THEIR DROVES”-Alejandro foresees that “people are going to come in their droves, particularly young people. Many more than the authorities expect to come. Speaking of the authorities, they want the visit to be a success but not too much of a success. They estimate that around 150,000 to 200,000 people will turn up for the Pope’s mass on Sunday. These figures are low according to sources close to the Vatican but many faithful may opt to stay at home for the following reason: To get a ticket you have to give your name, surname and address: “In other words,” says one female source from within the organisation team, “attendees are going to be registered. Catholics will therefore have to decide whether they wish to profess their faith in public, putting it down in black and white and risking surveillance and potential discrimination, or to cultivate it the privacy of their home, as they have been doing for over half a century.” The perennial dilemma is this: Does one follow in the footsteps of Havana’s Cardinal Ortega, who has never defied the regime, believing that it is more important to keep churches and seminaries open, or stand up to it?-CLOSE TO THE POOR-Speaking on the telephone from Miami, Ofelia Acevedo, the widow of Catholic dissident Oswaldo Payá, pointed towards a possible path: “The Pope is a religious leader and his motivation for coming to Cuba is spiritual. But his pastoral care mission is very much focused on the poor and he will sadly see many poor people on the island. It is the result of over half a century of dictatorship. Ofelia is not asking Francis for any grand gestures: “No, nothing. The Pope is a very wise man, he is well aware if the situation and will say all the right things. Change in Cuba cannot come from the outside: it has to come from the Cubans. But it is important for them to feel the closeness of a pastor like Francis because then they will know they are not alone and it will give them the courage to live their faith without fear.” When the US Secretary of State, Kerry visited in August, Ofelia asked him to request the results of her husband’s autopsy which had never been released in order not to arouse suspicion about his death in fact being a murder. But she does not intend to present any such request to Pope Francis: “He already knows all there is to know, there’s no use.”THE SPEECH FRANCIS GAVE IN BOLIVIA-Diplomatic sources say the regime was astonished by the speech Francis addressed to popular movements in Bolivia and they are hoping he will send out a similar message in Cuba. Possibly without absolving the revolution but recognising that there were no ill intentions behind it and that it is not to be written off completely. They are also expecting the Pope - during his US-Cuba stay - to put pressure on US parliamentarians to remove the embargo. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, on a recent visit to the island explained: not everything all together, but bit by bit, with bylaws for every provision.YOANI SÁNCHEZ-But the Cuban blogger warns: “The Pope will have to perform some very delicate diplomatic acrobatics in order to achieve the things he wants for the Church and the people, avoiding the risk of being used by the regime.” The Damas de Blanco, relatives of political prisoners who meet every Sunday in the church of Santa Rita in Miramar, go further, asking for concessions in exchange for dialogue. For example, the regime has freed 3,522 common prisoners to celebrate the Pope’s visit , but just last Sunday, it had 40 or so people arrested during a Damas procession. Francis is aware of this. He may well visit Fidel but without forgetting history; and above all, without losing sight of the future.
KING FELIPE 6TH OF SPAIN NEWS
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/king-felipe-6th-of-spain-at-white-house.html
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A DOUBLE SOLAR ECLIPSE ON ROSH HASHANA
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/a-double-eclipse-occurred-for-first.html
DOUBLE JUDGEMENTS HITS CHILE WITH 7.0 AND 8.3 QUAKES-QUICKLY
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/at-least-11-dead-now-in-chile-double.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/it-looks-like-my-hunch-was-correct.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/a-double-eclipse-occurred-for-first.html
THE POPE CAN SOLVE THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM-GOOD LUCK
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-pope-comes-to-cuba-today-for-few.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/king-felipe-6th-of-spain-at-white-house.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-us-and-its-immigration-mess-pope.html
A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
VATICAN RELATED TWITTERS
https://twitter.com/FatherRosica
https://twitter.com/pontifex
https://twitter.com/hashtag/PapaEnCuba?src=hash
https://twitter.com/officialvatican
https://twitter.com/VaticanInsider?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
CATHOLIC NEWS PAPERS
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/
http://www.catholicnews.com/index.cfm
THE POPE LIVE IN CUBA - AMERICA SEPT 19-28,15 -EWTN TV
http://www.ewtn.com/multimedia/live_player.asp
09/20/2015-VATICAN INSIDER-Francis’ face-to-face meeting with Fidel-Francis passes before an image of Fidel Castro-The Pope has paid a visit to the “líder máximo” at his residence, which has been turned into a private clinic. Francis gave him a CD with the preachings of Fr. Armando Llorente, the Jesuit who taught Castro. The meeting lasted just over half an hour-ANDREA TORNIELLI
L'Avana-Francis has held a face-to-face meeting with Fidel. After celebrating mass in Plaza de la Revolución, the Pope met the “líder máximo” in his home-turned-clinic. Fidel handed over the reins of power to his brother Raúl seven years ago, due to his ailing health.The director of the Vatican press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, announced the news, explaining that the visit lasted just over half an hour, the same amount of time Benedict XVI had spent with him during his visit three years ago. “Francis arrived at Fidel’s residence with a small entourage”. He was waiting for Francis with his relatives, his wife Dalia and his grandchildren. The climate “was cordial and informal”.At the end of his meeting with Ratzinger back in 2012, Castro had asked the then Pope to recommend him a book to read. Francis remembered this and brought him two books by Don Alessandro Pronzato, a priest and catechesis expert: the first is about good mood and joy as important elements of spiritual life and the second, titled "La nostra bocca si aprì al sorriso. Umorismo e fede" (“Our mouth opened up to smiling. Humour and faith”) and the second is titled “Vangeli scomodi” (“Uncomfortable Gospels”). The Pope also gave him a book and two CDs with the homilies of Fr. Armando Llorente, the Jesuit priest who had taught Castro at the Belén Jesuit preparatory school. Finally, Francis gave him copies of his Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” and his more recent “Laudato Si’” encyclical.FR. Lombardi said topics discussed included “protection of the environment and the great problems faced by today’s world”. Castro presented the Pope with a personally inscribed book titled “Fidel y la Religión” (“Fidel and Religion”). The inscription read: “To Pope Francis on the occasion of his fraternal visit to Cuba.” Fr. Lombardi informed that the Vatican will not be publishing any photographs, out of respect for the informal
Pope arrives in Cuba calling for freedom, better U.S.-Cuba relations-By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service-9.19.2015 6:06 PM ET
HAVANA (CNS) -- Pope Francis began his visit to Cuba praying for greater freedom for the island's people and calling on U.S. and Cuban politicians to continue moving toward fully normal and neighborly relations.Meeting President Raul Castro and speaking before a small crowd at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport Sept. 19, Pope Francis said the Cuban-U.S. rapprochement announced in December is "an event which fills us with hope" after decades of tensions and a 55-year-old economic embargo against Cuba.The new U.S.-Cuban relationship, which leaders of both countries said the pope had a role in facilitating, are "a sign of the victory of the culture of encounter and dialogue," Pope Francis said."I urge political leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called to carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples, of all America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world," the pope said.Briefly straying from his prepared text, the pope said, "Our world needs this reconciliation at this time of the 'third world war,' which is being fought in stages," with multiple small conflicts going on simultaneously.Castro told the pope that the full normalization of relations with the United States "will demand resolving problems and correcting injustices."The economic embargo, established by the United States in 1960, "is cruel, immoral and illegal, and it should cease," Castro said. He also insisted the U.S. return the land on which the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is constructed.Highlighting the 80th anniversary of Vatican-Cuban diplomatic relations and the visits of St. John Paul II in 1998 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, Pope Francis also encouraged the Cuban government to continue giving greater freedom to the Catholic Church in the communist country."Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and friendship, so that the church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in their hopes and concerns, with the freedom, means and space needed" to proclaim the Gospel, especially to people on the margins of society.St. John Paul's historic visit was hosted in part by Raul Castro's brother Fidel, who led the country for more than 45 years. When Pope Benedict visited the country 14 years later, he made a point of visiting with the ailing Fidel.At the airport welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis publicly asked the president "to convey my sentiments of particular respect and consideration to your brother Fidel." Although no date or time was announced, Pope Francis also was expected to meet with Fidel Castro.The Cuban church described Pope Francis as a "missionary of mercy" to Cuba, where he was scheduled to stay until flying to the United States Sept. 22. In addition to Havana, the pope also was to visit Holguin and Santiago de Cuba with its nearby shrine of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.Our Lady of Charity, he said, "has accompanied the history of the Cuba people, sustaining the hope which preserves people's dignity in the most difficult situations and championing the promotion of all that gives dignity to the human person."The pope said he would be visiting the shrine "as a son and a pilgrim to pray to our Mother for all her Cuban children and for this beloved nation, that it may travel the paths of justice, peace, liberty and reconciliation."Shortly after his Alitalia plane took off from Rome's Fiumicino airport for the 11-hour flight to Havana, Pope Francis walked to the back of the plane to greet the 76 members of the media traveling with him to both Cuba and the United States.Peace was on his mind as he set off from Rome, he said.Just before leaving the Vatican, he said, he met the Syrian family of refugees being hosted by the Vatican's St. Anne's parish."Today the world is thirsting for peace," the pope told reporters. "There are wars, there are migrants who are fleeing, this wave of migration that comes from wars, fleeing death and seeking life.""I was moved and became very emotional" meeting the family, he said. "You could see the pain in their faces."Pope Francis thanked the journalists "for all you do in your work to build bridges, small bridges of peace, because each bridge, each little bridge, one after the other, makes a big bridge of peace."The pope also said he knew the Sept. 19-28 trip would be challenging professionally for the media."If I'm not mistaken," he said, "I think this is the longest trip I have made -- one day longer than Brazil (in 2013). You will have a lot of work to do," he said.
09/20/2015 -VATICAN INSIDER-It’s empanadas all round for those on board the papal flight-Francis with the journalists who travelled with him on the papal flight-During the papal flight to Cuba, a journalist from Univision gave the Pope a box of empanadas prepared at a restaurant in Miami: the Pope had them defrosted, cut into small pieces and passed around to all journalists on board-andrea tornielli
on the flight from rome to havana-As has become customary, Pope Francis greeted each and every one of the journalists accompanying him on the flight bound for Cuba and then the US. He addressed a few words to them, speaking above all about how touched he was by the gesture of one of the two families of Syrian refugees being hosted in the Vatican, who came to bid him farewell before he set off on his journey. After this, Francis started going from seat to seat. He spent over half an hour speaking to the journalists (75 of them) in the rear of the plane, before coming away loaded with books, gifts, trophies, letters, tickets and tributes and having had a number of selfies taken.Andrés Beltramo Alvarez, who writes for Mexican news agency Notimex and Vatican Insider, played a message one of his two daughters had left for the Pope on his smartphone. France Presse’s Jean-Louis de la Vassiere, gave Francis a copy of her latest book about him. TV2000’s correspondent, Cristiana Caricato showed Bergoglio some emoticons that depict Francis in fun cartoon form, to which he responded: “I look much better there than in real life.” Another journalist representing Telemundo, presented him with a copy of the Emmy Award it won for its excellent coverage of the Conclave, while Argentina’s Elisabetta Piqué, gave him a box of Argentinian dulce de leche.Along with the dozens of letters he received, Francis was also given a big box tied together with a blue ribbon. It was full of empanadas, a type of meat pie that is typical in Argentina but popular throughout Latin America. The gift was given to him by Maria Antonieta Collins, a journalist from the Univision broadcasting company: while she was in Miami before returning to Rome to set off again for Cuba with the papal entourage, she stopped off at one of Miami’s top restaurants and asked for them to prepare a generous amount of empanadas, one of Bergoglio’s favourites. The empanadas stayed in a freezer in Rome for a couple of days.The Pope gave them to the Alitalia crew immediately so that they could be defrosted and offered round to everyone on board as an appetizer before lunch. They were cut into small pieces and served. In her book “Francisco. El Papa de la Gente” (“Francis. The People’s Pope”), the journalist Evangelina Himitian had described an episode that involved Francis and these famous empanadas. “I can say that I once saw him multiplying food, just as Jesus did with the bread and the fish,” she writes. It was October 2012 and the journalist was working for the press office of Catholic and Evangelical ecumenical encounters, where Bergoglio was one of the organisers. “You were not allowed to take food into the stadium where the meeting was taking place, so during the breaks, all those present had to buy something to eat in situ,” Evangelina Nimitian writes. There wasn’t much choice: all there were were empanadas, the traditional meat pies and they were not very good. It was a national holiday so no other events had been scheduled. Someone asked Bergoglio if he would rather go to have lunch in the exclusive Puerto Madero neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw away from the stadium, where there were various elegant restaurants. But he said he was going to stay and eat with all the others.”“By the time we journalists stopped to have lunch,” Evangelina goes on to say in the epilogue, “it was already getting late and there was very little left to eat. As we walked through the room where the food was being served, Bergoglio came up to us, greeted each and every one of us and thanked us for our work. We sat at the last table. The waitress brought us a plate with five empanadas but there were eight of us. Someone took the initiative and started cutting them in half. Sharing: this was the spirit of the encounter. And anyway, we had no other choice.”“Francis saw us from the other end of the room and understood. He got up and started asking other customers if they had finished eating. He retrieved the remaining empanadas from the hands of pastors and priests, put them on a plate and brought them to us. We were moved by his thoughtful gesture and felt flattered and stunned. He had multiplied the food... the man who today occupies the chair of Peter had sensed a need and fulfilled it when no one else had noticed.”
09/19/2015-vatican insider-US-Cuba thaw is “an event that fills us with hope”-The Cuban flag-In his first speech in Havana, in the presence of Raúl Castro, Francis greets Fidel, encourages the process that led to the re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Washington and calls for freedom and resources for the Church in Cuba. Tomorrow Francis will meet Fidel at his residence-ANDREA TORNIELLI
in cuba-“For some months now, we have witnessed an event which fills us with hope: the process of normalizing relations between two peoples following years of estrangement.” Pope Francis has arrived in Havana, for the first leg of his transatlantic journey that takes him to Cuba and then the US. In his first speech, he encourages the thaw which occurred in recent months, spurred by Vatican diplomacy.Speaking to journalists on board the flight to Cuba, the Pope said: "the world is thirsting for peace" and mentioned the tragic waves of migration caused by war. "I was very touched because one of the families of refugees who are staying in the parish of Sant'Anna came to bid me farewell: you could see the look of pain on their faces... Thank you for all the work you are going to be doing to build bridges, even small ones."In the presence of Raúl Castro, who went to greet him at the airport, the Pope quoted the poet and journalist José Martí, the 19th century revolutionary who fought against the Spanish occupation of Cuba, affirming with his words that the thaw in US-Cuban relations marks the victory of “the system of universal growth” over “the forever-dead system of groups and dynasties”. Francis encouraged “political leaders to persevere on this path and to develop all its potentialities as a proof of the high service which they are called to carry out on behalf of the peace and well-being of their peoples, of all America, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world.”The agreement that drew Raúl Castro and Barack Obama together, leading to the resumption of diplomatic relations, was signed in the Vatican, in the presence of the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin and Francis acted as guarantor. Now, the Pope is asking for this work to be continued and so he repeated the appeal sent out by John Paul II, who in 1998 invited Cuba, with “all its magnificent possibilities”, to open itself up to the world and the world open itself to Cuba. In his welcome speech, Raúl Castro recalled "his appreciation for the Pope's support in the process of normalisation of US-Cuban relations." "The embargo which is causing so much harm," Castro stressed, "is cruel, immoral and illegal; it needs to stop." "Guantanamo need sto be rerurned to Cuba".In his speech, Francis asked the president “to convey my sentiments of particular respect and consideration to your brother Fidel”. He then sent a special greeting to those “who, for various reasons, I will not be able to meet, and to Cubans throughout the world.” Francis spared a thought for those who are unable to take part in one of the events organised in three Cuban cities, for reasons relating to work, distance and transportation or because they are in prison.At the foot of the airplane stairs the Pope was welcomed with a floral wreathe brought to him by a couple of children. He recalled that this year marks the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Holy See. “Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and friendship, so that the Church can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in its hopes and concerns, with the freedom, the means and the space needed to bring the proclamation of the Kingdom to the existential peripheries of society.”A clear reference to the problems the Church faces in terms of means and structures, despite the changes made following the previous papal visits. After John Paul II’s Cuban voyage, Fidel declared Christmas a public holiday and after Benedict XVI’s visit, Good Friday also became an official holiday.Pope Francis expressed the wish that Cuba, an “archipelago” facing all directions and has “extraordinary value” as a “key” between north and south, east and west, may increasingly come to discover “its natural vocation”: being “a point of encounter for all peoples to join in friendship”.In Cuba there is still hope for a meeting between the Pope and representatives of the opposition.Tomorrow Francis is to meet Fidel at his residence.
09/18/2015-VATICAN INSIDER-Celebrating mass beneath Che’s portrait: The Pope’s latest revolution-Workers prepare the altar for the papal mass in Havana-In Havana, Cuba, everyone is waiting for Sunday’s big event. But faithful are going to need to register to attend-PAOLO MASTROLILLI
in havana-The altar prepared for the Pope’s Sunday mass in Plaza de la Revolución, is simple. Francis will be celebrating beneath a giant image of his fellow countryman, Che Guevarra. A white canopy and a dark wooden chair upholstered in red velvet have been positioned on a yellow platform. A simple cross rises up from behind the canopy. All around are symbols of the revolution, Hasta la Victoria Siempre, the statue depicting José Martí, blend with the sober posters welcoming the Pope to Cuba. One banner, which hangs above the national Theatre depicts the Holy Father washing the feet of the neglected and welcomes him as a Misionero de la Misericordia, a missionary of mercy. Here, the Castro regime hopes to receive two gifts: backing to convince the United States to lift the embargo in light of the thaw in relations and a political message that manages to at least salvage the goals of the revolution if not its results.“LIKE OUR FATHER” Alejandro came here with his guitar beneath claps of tropical thunder, to practice the musical pieces for the mass along with other young members of the choir; “The diocesan organisers were adamant that they wanted only Cuban music. And we are happy to play it.” The 30-year-old man arrived donning glasses and an ever so slightly unkempt beard, his smiley wife at his side. He could easily be mistaken for an entertainer in some European parish: We are lucky enough to have seen two Popes already in our lifetime – John Paul II and Benedict XVI – but I must admit, this time it is different. We feel Francis much closer to us. Maybe it’s because he’s Latin, he speaks Spanish and he comes from our culture, but it’s like meeting our father. And then there’s everything he’s done.” Meaning? “The revival of relations with the US. I don’t know if people on the outside can see this, but for us it means that there is a hope our lives may really change now. And we know that it would not have happened without him.”PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME IN THEIR DROVES”-Alejandro foresees that “people are going to come in their droves, particularly young people. Many more than the authorities expect to come. Speaking of the authorities, they want the visit to be a success but not too much of a success. They estimate that around 150,000 to 200,000 people will turn up for the Pope’s mass on Sunday. These figures are low according to sources close to the Vatican but many faithful may opt to stay at home for the following reason: To get a ticket you have to give your name, surname and address: “In other words,” says one female source from within the organisation team, “attendees are going to be registered. Catholics will therefore have to decide whether they wish to profess their faith in public, putting it down in black and white and risking surveillance and potential discrimination, or to cultivate it the privacy of their home, as they have been doing for over half a century.” The perennial dilemma is this: Does one follow in the footsteps of Havana’s Cardinal Ortega, who has never defied the regime, believing that it is more important to keep churches and seminaries open, or stand up to it?-CLOSE TO THE POOR-Speaking on the telephone from Miami, Ofelia Acevedo, the widow of Catholic dissident Oswaldo Payá, pointed towards a possible path: “The Pope is a religious leader and his motivation for coming to Cuba is spiritual. But his pastoral care mission is very much focused on the poor and he will sadly see many poor people on the island. It is the result of over half a century of dictatorship. Ofelia is not asking Francis for any grand gestures: “No, nothing. The Pope is a very wise man, he is well aware if the situation and will say all the right things. Change in Cuba cannot come from the outside: it has to come from the Cubans. But it is important for them to feel the closeness of a pastor like Francis because then they will know they are not alone and it will give them the courage to live their faith without fear.” When the US Secretary of State, Kerry visited in August, Ofelia asked him to request the results of her husband’s autopsy which had never been released in order not to arouse suspicion about his death in fact being a murder. But she does not intend to present any such request to Pope Francis: “He already knows all there is to know, there’s no use.”THE SPEECH FRANCIS GAVE IN BOLIVIA-Diplomatic sources say the regime was astonished by the speech Francis addressed to popular movements in Bolivia and they are hoping he will send out a similar message in Cuba. Possibly without absolving the revolution but recognising that there were no ill intentions behind it and that it is not to be written off completely. They are also expecting the Pope - during his US-Cuba stay - to put pressure on US parliamentarians to remove the embargo. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, on a recent visit to the island explained: not everything all together, but bit by bit, with bylaws for every provision.YOANI SÁNCHEZ-But the Cuban blogger warns: “The Pope will have to perform some very delicate diplomatic acrobatics in order to achieve the things he wants for the Church and the people, avoiding the risk of being used by the regime.” The Damas de Blanco, relatives of political prisoners who meet every Sunday in the church of Santa Rita in Miramar, go further, asking for concessions in exchange for dialogue. For example, the regime has freed 3,522 common prisoners to celebrate the Pope’s visit , but just last Sunday, it had 40 or so people arrested during a Damas procession. Francis is aware of this. He may well visit Fidel but without forgetting history; and above all, without losing sight of the future.
