Castro

US President George Bush looks on as French President Jacques Chirac kisses the hand of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former US President Bill Clinton looks the other way, second from top right, after the funeral mass for Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, April 8, 2005. Sitting looking at Chirac kissing Rice's hand is First Lady Laura Bush. At bottom left, is King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofia with black hat; at top left, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. In background behind President Bush, Palestinian Qureia, widely known as Abu Ala (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

HAVANA -- Cuban President Fidel Castro criticized President Bush's attendance at Pope John Paul II's funeral Friday as "hypocrisy" because of the pontiff's opposition to the war in Iraq, and he downplayed the pope's role in toppling communism in the former Soviet bloc.

U.S. officials "went to cry in the presence of John Paul II, who was so against war, who so condemned the world order imposed by that empire (the United States), who so condemned consumerism," Castro said in his speech Thursday. "How far will hypocrisy go in this world? In my opinion it's an insult to John Paul II's memory."

Castro's five-hour speech was televised live in what has become a weekly event on the communist-run island. For more than a month, Castro has used the weekly platform to announce new government measures to ease Cubans' economic pains, including revaluation of the island's currency and increased welfare payments. But this week, the Cuban leader said it was more fitting to dedicate his address to the pope, who died April 2.

Praising the pope for his compassion for the poor, his anti-war politics and his rejection of a long-standing trade embargo against Cuba by the United States, Castro said he shared more similarities than differences with John Paul, and that it was religion, not politics, that shaped the pope's stand against communism.

"It's true that the pope was very critical of communism," Castro said. "But he also became very critical of the capitalist system."

An impassioned Castro spoke at length about the pope's historic 1998 visit to the island, saying, "He did not come with the intention of destroying the (Cuban) revolution."

The Cuban leader downplayed John Paul's role in helping end communism in his native Poland and Eastern Europe, saying one man could not be credited with ending a political and economic system.

"If one day Cuban socialism comes crumbling down, no one is to blame except ourselves," he said.

Castro also got personal in Thursday's speech, revisiting his days as a child growing up among a religious family and attending Roman Catholic schools, including one run by the Jesuits.

"I wasn't around anyone atheist," he said.

But teaching methods at the time and his "rebellious character" kept him distant from religion, prompting him to choose a different path, he said.

"No one can force me to believe in something," Castro said.

But Castro urged Cubans to respect all religious - and nonreligious - beliefs, saying "these are personal affairs for each person, and all faiths deserve the utmost respect."

Cuba became officially atheist after the 1959 revolution that thrust Castro into power, though it never broke ties with the Vatican. But in 1991, the government removed references to atheism in the constitution and allowed religious believers to join the Communist Party.

Roman Catholic officials in Cuba expressed gratitude and even surprise at the government's response to the pope's death. Anniversary celebrations for political organizations and baseball games were canceled as the government observed three days of mourning.

Castro and several other high-ranking communist officials also attended a funeral Mass for the pope in Havana on Monday.

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