Pope Benedict XVI heads to Cuba

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The -- now we go Pope Benedict the sixteenth continuing a tour of Latin America today with the historic stop in Cuba.

Marking the first papal visit there in some ten -- Steve Harrigan is live the -- Savannah and the pope's visit there -- it.

Martha Pope is just a few hours away from landing in Santiago Cuba there he will visit.

The country's most sacred shrine for Catholics and he also marked the anniversary.

Of Cuba's patron saint.

-- a sixteen inch wooden statue was the official reason for the pope's visit to Cuba.

400 years ago to -- our lady of mercy statue was found floating in the waters off the Eastern Shore of Cuba.

Now -- the country's patron saint.

Officially atheist under the ex communicated Fidel Castro who even banned Christmas.

State and church group closer after the visit of Pope John Paul the second in 1998.

Fourteen years later Cuba's Catholics want more government come out.

We receive the Pope with love she says and hope that we can practice our religion the way we did before the revolution.

Pope Benedict goals may prove more ambitious than some anticipated.

Before the trip he told reporters marxism no longer responded to reality.

And that Cuba need to find a new model.

The Pope is also going to hold two huge open air mass is the one here in Havana on Wednesday.

Could top more than half a million spectators -- back to you.

Had a -- Steve thank you so much reporting from Havana when his.

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