Religious views of Fidel Castro

According to The Washington Post, former president of Cuba Fidel Castro's letters from prison suggest that he "was a man of unusual spiritual depth – and a fervent believer in God.

[2] Castro has criticized what he sees as elements of the Bible that have been used to justify the oppression of both women and people of African descent throughout history.

[3] During a visit of Jesse Jackson in 1984, Castro accompanied him to a Methodist church service where he even spoke from the pulpit with a Bible before him, an event that marked a beginning of increased openness towards Christianity in Cuba.

Castro wore a dark blue business suit, rather than fatigues, in his public meetings with the Pope, and treated him with reverence and respect.

[6] In December 1998, Castro formally re-instated Christmas Day as the official celebration for the first time since its abolition by the Communist Party of Cuba in 1969.

The purpose of this unprecedented event was to introduce the newly restored convent in Old Havana and to mark the fifth anniversary of the Pope's visit to Cuba.

Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino led the Mass and welcomed Castro, who was dressed in a black suit, expressing his gratitude for the "heartfelt way that the death of our Holy Father John Paul II was received (in Cuba).