The Cuban immigration department said that special visa must also be obtained by any person living in the United States and any Cuban exile anywhere in the world who wants to visit the island to see Pope John Paul II. He will be in Cuba on Jan. 21-25, the first visit ever to the island by a pope.
All other would-be papal pilgrims from any other part of the globe can apply for a Cuban visa through normal channels, according to wire reports of the official statement.
The immigration department said the special visas are necessary for ``reasons of security.'' The papal visit is expected to be an emotional experience for many Cubans, and the Cuban authorities are obviously worried it might become a politically volatile moment as well.
The special visas will be good from Jan. 6 -- the day after exiles visiting for the holiday season are expected to leave -- and will expire Jan. 31.
It is not known what kinds of security checks will be used to process those visas; what special travel restrictions, if any, will be involved; how many will be issued, or what they will cost; what paperwork must be completed; or what the deadline is for applying.
``The Cuban Interests Section in Washington told us we might know all that by this Friday,'' said Nina Meyer, owner of Vision Travel in Coral Gables. She is booking the Norwegian Majesty, a cruise ship that is expected to carry about 1,000 pilgrims to Cuba for the visit.
Bishop Thomas Wenski, director of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Miami, which is organizing the papal cruise, said the church is in contact with Cuban officials in Washington and Havana, but also has no details about the special visas.
As of Monday, about 300 berths had been reserved on the ship, two-thirds by non-Hispanics. A handful of those non-Hispanics already have received visas from the Cuban Interests Section, but Meyer said it may be necessary to reapply now that the special visa is being required.
No Cuban exile who has applied for a visa so far has been approved, Meyer said, but she said Cuban officials in Washington have told her new criteria are being formulated.
No official at the Interests Section was available for comment Wednesday.
The Cuban government said Wednesday the Norwegian Majesty will be the only ship allowed to bring pilgrims for the papal visit because the Port of Havana cannot handle another.
The immigration department did say it will consider the possibility of allowing more flights specifically for the visit. It has already approved one planeload of pilgrims from New York and another from Boston.
It was not known if charter companies or other airlines would offer such flights.
``I might set up flights for journalists, but I don't have anything else planned,'' said Vivian Mannerud, president of Airline Brokers Co., one of three companies offering charters to Cuba from South Florida. ``Lots of people are calling me, but I really don't think the Cuban government is going to let these people in for the pope.'' She was referring to Cuban exiles.
Mannerud said at the moment she is too busy trying to find airplanes to handle the glut of travelers who will go to Cuba for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, many of them Cuban exiles.
``Business is booming,'' she said. ``The three charter companies in Miami have 10,900 reservations for the month of December. That's the largest number ever by far.''
She said she had already told those passengers about the new Cuban government announcement that will force them to leave the island by Jan. 5.
``For almost all of them it was no problem because they had planned to be back here by then because school starts that day,'' she said. ``There were about 50 people who wanted to stay a bit more, but they've all told me to book them back by Jan. 5. I will if I can find a plane.''
Copyright © 1997 The Miami Herald