Diplomacy in action

Further to our earlier post, it now seems as if Cardinal Bertone did in fact raise the issue of political prisoners with Raul Castro during their meeting in Havana today.

But according to this AP report, Cardinal Bertone “stopped short of asking the communist government to free inmates”.

In fact, as the report makes clear, the man who is supposed to be the Vatican’s second most powerful official remained the ultimate diplomat to the very end.

He told reporters before departing: “With utmost respect for the sovereignty of the country and its citizens, I expressed to President Raul Castro the Church's worries for prisoners and their families."