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Highlights Pope John Paul II's trip to Cuba in January, 1998. Compare and contrast of the work, beliefs, and goals of both the Pope and Fidel Castro; How Cuba has fared under Castro's Marxist rule; Why Castro invited the Pope to Cuba; The Pope's motives in going to Cuba. INSET: `You should not expect a miracle'.

Recounts the visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba in January 1998. The Pope's efforts in stimulating new revolutionary ideas within Fidel Castro's closed society; How the Pope's message was only covertly political, chiding Cuba's lapsed family values harder than its lack of human rights, calling more for Catholic education than confrontation with the regime; Castro as skillful in extending his blessing over the visit.

Focuses on the efforts of Roman Catholic nun Joan Chittister of the Mount Saint Benedict monastery to force the Catholic Church to allow the ordination of women as priests. View of the Church on ordaining women as priests; Effort by the Church to enlist Sister Christine Vladimiroff of the monastery to penalize Chittister for her activism; Fear that members in attendance at the Women's Ordination Conference in Dublin, Ireland would ordain women as priests.

Discusses the rebirth of the Orthodox Church in Russia. Changes the Orthodox Church has undergone since the fall of Communism in Russia; The proposed re-unification between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church; Ventures the Orthodox Church is now involved with; Relations between Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope John Paul II.

Comments on the agreement made between Lutherans and Catholics as of July 6, 1998. Debate over justification by faith; Announcement of a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification; Hopes of a reunion between Lutherans and Catholics; Split instigated by Martin Luther's objections to Catholic Church practices; View of the Vatican.

Addresses relations between Italy and the Vatican. Dispute over Vatican Radio's powerful transmitters; Possible health issues involved with electromagnetic pollution from the transmitters; Political implications of the dispute between the Italian government and the Vatican.