Pope condemns executions in Cuba
The Holy Father has added his voice to international condemnations of the execution of three hijackers in Cuba and a clampdown there on dissidents. In a letter, written by Cardinal Sodano on behalf of the Pope, to Cuban President Fidel Castro, he expressed his "deep pain" at the executions, and appealed for clemency for 75 imprisoned dissidents. The executed men had seized a ferry and tried to force the crew to go to the United States. Eleven people took part in the attempted hijack, in which nobody was hurt. The executions ended a three-year moratorium on capital punishment in Cuba. Pope John-Paul II, became the first pontiff to visit Cuba in 1998. Source: VIS