A look at the history of the Catholic Church in Cuba

Public religious events were banned after processions were transformed into political protests, sometimes turning violent.

The government was officially atheist and believers of all faiths were banned from membership in the Communist Party.

In 1992, the government dropped its constitutional references to atheism, and a gradual warming of church-state relations began, culminating with the first papal visit to the island in 1998, and government acceptance of some outdoor religious events.

FIRST PAPAL VISIT:

President Raul Castro greeted Benedict and attended the papal Mass in the eastern city of Santiago to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the image of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, Cuba's patron saint.