c. 1998 Religion News Service

HAVANA _ The traffic on the street was unusually heavy and dusk had already descended. But for the faithful at Our Lady of Carmen Roman Catholic Church, the time had never been better to leave the sanctuary for an outdoor rally.

With light streaming from the ornate landmark in the heart of the capital, about 200 parishioners, including a chorus of children, poured into the street, slowing traffic and turning heads as they gathered to sing.

People lined nearby balconies, rocking to the music and clapping in unison. Smoke-belching buses slowed to a crawl. Passersby stopped to stare.

Then the Catholics began passing out big, blue posters of Pope John Paul II, inscribed: “Messenger of Love and Hope, We Await You!” Microphone in hand, the Rev. Teodoro Becerril told the crowd the pope, who arrives here Wednesday (Jan. 21), was coming because he loves Cuba.

“Viva el Papa, Viva Cuba,” faithful and unfaithful alike roared back.

Such gatherings would have been unthinkable just a few years ago when the only rallies were pro-government events organized by the government. Now, however, at least some things have changed as Cubans prepare for the most significant visit by a foreign leader in the 39 years since Fidel Castro took power.

Coming at a time when Catholicism and other faiths are enjoying a resurgence, the pope’s visit has captured the imaginations of his followers and stirred the curiosity of non-believers. It has sparked an entrepreneurial zeal among those seeking to make a buck. It has also created headaches for those planning a mammoth event in a nation unaccustomed to many outsiders of any kind.

Yet it is not readily apparent to the casual visitor that Havana is ready. Except for the route the pope will take into the city, where crews have been busy filling holes, the streets remain pocked with potholes. The city’s breathtaking architecture _ some five centuries old _ remains decrepit and in dire need of paint and other repairs. There are no massive banners welcoming the pontiff. And the state-operated media, which has kept a tight rein on information for four decades, has largely ignored the event.

But Cubans are very much aware the pope is coming. And many are making their own preparations, both large and small.

“As a Christian and as a Catholic, I feel overwhelmed by this moment,” said Berta Sanchez, 57, who watched the rally outside Our Lady of Carmen. “I feel complete love and joy.”

Eloina de la Tejera, a lifelong Catholic, said she’s buoyed by news of John Paul’s visit. The 79-year-old woman said she suffers from several ailments that may prevent her from journeying across town to hear the pope celebrate Mass next Sunday, but she’s readying herself nonetheless.

“I’m sick, but when the pope gives Mass, I plan to make the trip,” she said, standing before an enormous framed picture of Jesus adorning the drab wall of her home in central Havana. “I’m preparing by doing the little things. I’m praying, hoping he gives me strength and health.”

Feliciano Fernandez, 37, said he does not follow one faith. But, he said, all Cubans feel emotional about the visit. “People have a hope. They hope the pope’s visit will bring _ not material wealth _ but an internal, spiritual awakening among each person.”The Cuban people needed this,”he said. The pope’s visit is needed because for so long there was religious persecution and other problems.” In fact, that persecution _ for years Cuba’s government was officially atheistic and discrimination against those who openly practiced religion was not uncommon _ left Cubans largely ignorant about a church with a centuries-long presence on the island. It also bled the church of followers.

In a part of the world that is solidly Catholic, only 40 percent of Cuba’s people have been baptized Catholic and the church says a much smaller percentage actually attend Mass regularly. Other denominations, from mainline Protestant groups to evangelicals to Afro-Caribbean faiths, are growing ever stronger.

Recognizing the irony of the world’s most recognizable religious figure visiting a communist bastion, Cubans have resorted to well-meaning jokes about el papa _ the pope in Spanish _ often playing off the word papa, which also means potato.

Because the mass media has given little coverage of the visit, those active in the Catholic Church have dedicated months to going door to door to inform people and answer questions _ often elementary _ about Catholicism and the pope.

“For them the pope is like a president or other foreign dignitary,” said the Rev. Fidel de Jesus, a Havana pastor. “He’s not the leader of a spiritual movement. … The mission of the church is to make sure people know that the church and the pope have a role in their lives.”

Ana Fernandez, a member of Our Lady of Carmen, has spent weeks volunteering her time in preparation for the visit. Accompanied by her friend, Ida Miragaya, Fernandez has scoured neighborhoods across Havana, going to people’s homes to provide details about the visit.

“We’ve gone house to house, evangelizing and telling people who the pope is and what he offers,” said Fernandez. “Everyone has treated us with kindness, and they want to hear what we’re saying, what we’re doing and who we are.”

The church has also organized teams of workers at each parish with the goal of organizing the faithful to line the streets upon John Paul’s entry into Havana. This week at Our Lady of Carmen, Fernandez and 40 other people put their energies into making tiny Vatican flags to pass out at the Mass in Havana next Sunday.

“We’ve shown that even with few resources, we can do big things. Look at these people, with their little sticks and paper,” said Father Fidel. “They come here to work hard because this is something they want to happen.”

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Others across this city of 2 million are working to take advantage of the numerous European, Canadian and Latin American tourists, including 2,000 foreign journalists, who have come here because the pope is coming.

Hotels have raised rates, in some cases doubling prices.

Isael Gonzalez has much more modest goals, but is nevertheless hoping to earn a few extra dollars because the neighborhood he works in is crawling with foreign visitors. Gonzalez’ job is to stand outside the massive Havana Libre, the hotel Fidel Castro used as the headquarters of his transitional government four decades ago, and lure visitors to a neighborhood restaurant run by a friend.

“There are many more tourists now because of the pope’s visit,” he said. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a friend’s apartment. Called a paladar, after the Spanish word for palate, visitors to the Three Bs were led to tables situated in two rooms _ formerly bedrooms in the expansive flat _ as the cook baked chicken and fried pork.

A few blocks away at an outdoor artisan’s market _ one of several now allowed to operate by the government _ a couple of painters have come up with renditions of the pope or pictures of Jesus, depictions they say would never have sold here before.

“It’s possible with the visit of the pope that we’ll have better sales,” said Candido Pila, 33, noting business has not been good. “Now, things are looking up and we’re selling a little more.”

Maria Ferra, 30, another artist at the fair, has already seen the papal tour pay off for her. Last week, she painted three close-ups of John Paul II. Two have sold for between $10 and $15. The monthly government wage hovers around $10.

“I plan to paint two or three more,” she said. “There’s not much time, since he’s about to arrive.”

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