I am preparing to make those "summary statements" to the leaderships of the world's three 
greatest monotheistic religions as were promised when i did the key elements of the 
"International Diplomatic Work...on a direct basis" in 1978, around the time of the historic 
Camp David Summit.  
One such element of it was preparatory work towards an expanded U.S. Government developmental 
aid commitment to Latin America (which i always presumed was the "Caribbean Basin Initiative").  
Below is the text of a 1985 article i kept in my file on the subject.
I have recently taken some steps in anticipation of Pope John Paul II's January, 1998 visit to 
Cuba.

I'm not going to put everything they sent me online here now.
None of the pamphlets and information cost me anything, so if you want it you can contact 
these people and obtain it the same way i did:  ask them for the same.
But i think it's worth considering, as this dispute over fishing rights continues:  
  
  Would these spokespersons for Christian morality be doing what they are presently 
  doing if "the road not taken" had at least been brought to public attention after 
  i did that "International Diplomatic Work...on a direct basis" in 1978?

I think not.

"A Measure Of Defiance" (the title of Mike Harcourt's political memoirs), indeed.

Castro making peace moves toward church
  By NOEL LORTHIOIS

  HAVANA (AFP)--More than a quarter century after the triumph of the revolution that made 
atheist Marxism Cuba's ideology, the leader of that revolution, Fidel Castro, is making 
overtures to the Roman Catholic Church that are believed to be unprecedented in the Communist 
world.
  The moves include the following, all of which have taken place since last summer:
    =The publication of a book drawn from an interview Castro gave to a Dominican monk from 
     Brazil.
    =Castro's opening of a dialogue with the Cuban episcopate, which the episcopate itself has 
     described as "very positive."
    =His reported approval of a church list allowing dozens of families to emigrate to the 
     United States.
    =His assertion that a visit from Pope John Paul would be "useful and positive."
  The most recent of these overtures was the publication Monday of the book, "Fidel and 
Religion, Conversations with Brother Betto."  The interview with the Brazilian dominican monk 
was believed to be the first such discussion ever released under a Marxist head of state.
  The book's publication followed a publicity campaign that even included televised scenes of 
religious ceremonies.
  And as long lines formed Monday at Havana bookstores featuring the work, Granma, the 
Communist party newspaper, quoted Brother Betto as saying:  "Christianity is essentially 
Communist."
  Meanwhile, the new dialogue with the bishops may bring more significant change in this 
country where atheism has been the state doctrine since Castro swept the right-wing 
dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista from power on Jan. 1, 1959.
  The meetings began after Castro told a group of visiting U.S. bishops that he was prepared
to meet their Cuban counterparts.  After the first meeting on Sept. 8, which involved three
bishops, Castro met Nov. 12 with the entire episcopate.
  Details of the discussions have not been made public but Western diplomats here said the 
bishops almost certainly brought up the question of de facto discrimination against Catholics 
seeking high-ranking posts.

(article accompanied by photo of Fidel Castro with caption:
   FIDEL CASTRO
       ...met with bishops)
(article from December 7, 1985 Vancouver Sun)


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