The many "difficulties and limitations" placed on the Catholic Church in Cuba have not stopped it from growing and from reaching out to help the poor and the sick, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"Continue carrying out a bold and generous effort of evangelisation which will bring the light of Christ to all spheres and places," the pope told the bishops of Cuba May 2 at the end of their ad limina visits, in which they reported on the status of their dioceses.

"At this moment in history, the Church in your country is called to offer the entire Cuban society the one true hope: Christ Our Lord, victor over sin and death.

This is the force that has kept Cuban believers firmly on the path of faith and love," the pope said. Archbishop Juan Garcia Rodriguez of Camaguey, president of the Cuban bishops' conference, told the pope, "At this moment in Cuba there is talk of changes which the people and the Church greet with hope."

CNS)