Pope Benedict on Marxism

Pope Benedict is going to visit Cuba this week and had the following to say. From the UK Guardian:

Pope Benedict: communism no longer working in Cuba
Pope Benedict XVI, flying to Cuba for a historic visit, has said that Marxism was out of place in the contemporary world and urged Cubans to find "new models".

His remarks on Friday were at least as forthright as any made by his predecessor, John Paul II, on a groundbreaking trip to the country 14 years ago. Answering a question about his visit to Cuba, which has remained a communist bastion for more than 50 years, the pope said: "Today it is evident that Marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer corresponds to reality."

He told reporters accompanying him on the papal plane: "In this way we can no longer respond and build a society. New models must be found with patience and in a constructive way."

Benedict also said that his church wanted "to help in the spirit of dialogue to avoid trauma and to help bring about a just and fraternal society". But his comments are likely to cause irritation in Havana.

Good on him -- the Cubans in power deserve to be more than irritated. They have been responsible for turning a gorgeous vibrant culture into a third-world hell-hole. How many hundreds of thousands of people have starved to death under their regime. Their "free medical care" is a tragic joke. Godspeed Pope Benedict!