Pope Urges Cuba 'Serve People, Not Ideology'

Ahead of his first visit to the United States, Pope Francis stopped in Cuba. The Catholic leader is holding historic meetings with that nation's communist leaders.

During mass in Havana's Revolution Plaza, Francis told Cubans to serve one another and not ideology, a subtle jab at Communism.

"Whoever wishes to be great must serve others, not be served by others," he said. "Service is never ideological, for we do not serve ideas, we serve people."

Later he met with 89-year-old Fidel Castro, and with Fidel's brother and current president, Raul Castro, who has joked that the pope might make him consider returning to his Catholic roots.

The pontiff steered clear of politics in his homily, but has said in the past he hopes this visit to Cuba will lead to more freedom for the Church, which has suffered under decades of Communist repression.

Cuba is the least Catholic country in Latin America. While most Cubans might call themselves Catholic, less than 10 percent go to church.

The papal visit comes at a time when some hope change is coming to Cuba.

"I think this time is very important because of the fact that the United States and Cuba are opening doors to each other," one woman said.

But while the pope met with the Castro brothers, he has reportedly not met with Cuban dissidents, who were prevented from reaching the cathedral where a meeting was scheduled. The Vatican stressed that no official meeting with the dissidents had been planned.

Not meeting with them could alienate Cuba's devout Catholics, who are oppressed by the Castro government. But they're used to it. Previous popes, including John Paul II, did not meet with Cuban dissidents either.