Orthodox patriarch dines with Castro

Sunday, January 25, 2004

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Bartholomew I, the visiting Orthodox ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople and spiritual leader of the 300 million strong orthodox community worldwide, has met with President Fidel Castro, a spokesman for the Orthodox patriarch said Saturday.

"It was an extremely successful dinner" meeting, the spokesman, Benjamin Leavenworth, told AFP.

Bartholomew I, Castro, and 23 other people dined late Friday at Havana's posh landmark Hotel Nacional, he added.

There were no details on content of any of the discussions.

Bob Edgar, secretary general of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States, told reporters after he met with the Orthodox patriarch that he is hoping to have a chance to meet with Castro himself to voice concern about the fate of 75 dissidents rounded up in April in the biggest government crackdown in years.

The dissidents were sentenced to lengthy prison terms and the crackdown sparked an international outcry.

Edgar said he did not want to tell the communist Cuban government what to do, but that he hoped compassion would be shown the dissidents whether with releases or reduced sentences.

During his visit, the patriarch of Constantinople was to consecrate the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Havana, built especially by the Cuban government "as an offering from the Cuban people" to the Orthodox Church.

The Cuban community has 2,000 to 3,000 orthodox believers, mostly of Slavic, Russian and Ukrainian origin. 

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