Pope says Mass facing Guevara's billboard

It is an old Catholic custom to say Mass under or facing a statue or picture of Our Lord, Our Lady or a Saint. At public Masses said outdoors, it is understood that no picture expressing principles contrary to the Catholic Faith and Morals should be displayed.

On March 28, 2012, on his visit to Cuba, Benedict XVI agreed to say his Mass at the Revolution Square in Havana facing a gigantic billboard of Che Guevara, above. To his side was another billboard of Camilo Cienfuegos, the Marxist thinker behind the Cuban Revolution, below first row. A significant detail: in 1998, when John Paul II said his Mass in the same Revolution Square, he had a large billboard of the Sacred Heart. For Benedict's Mass, the Sacred Heart picture was replaced by one of Cienfuegos...

Below second row, an overview of the papal Mass said March 26, 2012, in Santiago, also in its Revolution Square. Benedict said his Mass facing a gigantic billboard of Fidel Castro holding up a carbine and calling Cubans to the fight for Communism; third row, a billboard with the slogan, "Santiago, rebellious yesterday, welcoming today, heroic always." A clear affirmation of the same old errors of Communism.

Given the proverbial care the Vatican takes in every detail during the preparation for a papal Mass, the presence of these three billboards was known beforehand and agreed upon.Therefore, the Pope knew about them and had no problem in sending the message that these three Communist leaders should be accepted by all, which is what he did.

These are the new "heroes" of the Conciliar Church. While it denigrates the crusaders, it exalts those who fought for Communism.

We should be prepared for even more.