his father's name was benedict and his grandfather's name was benedict and so forth, so they obviously wanted to keep the name. so when the firstborn benedict died as an infant, then the next son would have automatically received that name. c-span: if he were 14 then it would be about 1755, if i count right. what was this country all about in 1755? >> guest: it was before the end of the french and indian wars, so that was still going on, not of course in connecticut, although there were a lot of people who went to it, as british soldiers of course. there are even some historians who have said, other biographers who have said that arnold ran away and went and joined up and went to the french and indian wars. i've looked at that evidence very carefully and decided that it wasn't him, that it was somebody else. i don't think he did do that. so the country was very much in flux, but the british were firmly in control now because the french were no longer in canada, so then it was at peace for the first time in a long time, which must have been a big relief, and very prosperous. business bo

. >> pope benedict xvi meets with castro in havana. making music, one craftsman is using manhattan's old buildings to produce instruments with a special appeal. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. of all the horror associated with war, the targeting of children must rank amongst the worst. we have heard claims from the u.n. top human-rights chief that in syria, the president's forces are detaining and torturing young boys and girls by the hundreds. footage showing continued government shelling of the city even though authorities yesterday accepted a peace plan. we begin our coverage with a special report. >> in a place we cannot name with faces we cannot shall -- show, this is a kind of therapy for syria's child survivors. these children can no longer go to school. some have seen parents drive away in the night. others have fled from the bombardment of homs. this child describes dain -- during the chanting and the moment the army opened fire. in an exclusive interview, the u.n.'s tops human-rights official ha

>>> coming up, pope benedict xvi's trip to mexico and cuba. what's the status of catholicism in cuba? >>> plus, jews and christians paying new attention to the jewishness of jesus. >>> and the long lives of seventh day adventists in loma linda, california. >>> welcome, i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. pope benedict xvi is on a six day visit to mexico and cuba, his second trip to latin america since becoming pope. it's the first papal visit to cuba since john paul ii went there in 1998. more on the situation for catholics inside cuba, coming up. >>> in cairo, tens of thousands of coptic christians came out to mourn coptic pope shenouda iii, who died at the age of 88. pope shenouda led the coptic church for more than 40 years, and his death comes as many copts worry about their future in egypt as islamist parties gain more power. religious leaders from around the world praised shenouda for promoting peaceful relations between christians and muslims. but he was also criticized by some younger copts for his support of former presi

the same for pope benedict. feel much more for john paul. >> to this day, john paul has lost none of his popularity among the mexicans, and they consider it an honor that the procession of his relatives should have come first to mexico, right ahead of the visit of pope benedict. their enthusiasm is still focused on john paul and they remained reticent toward pope benedict. in that sense, it is difficult legacy that the polish pope has lived for his german successor. >> with us here to talk about the efforts of that successor in mexico is our religious affairs correspondent. john, welcome. first, just how important is latin america for this pontiff's? >> tremendously important to the catholic church. 70% of the population of latin america is known to be catholic. the population -- the catholic publication of mexico is the largest in the world, of any country in the world with the exception of brazil. but did church there is nevertheless confronted with very serious challenges, difficult challenges that are relate

when pope benedict arrives in mexico, he will find deep divisions in the clergy. church leaders had been accused of failing to speak out over the growing violence and align themselves more closely with the government than the victims. one of the most vocal critics comes from within the church itself. >> we're not doing enough to attend to the people. we're just not doing it. we should be doing extraordinary work at a time like this and the situation is urgent. this is a flock without a shepherd. >> but beyond accusations of silence and inaction, there is dissected more serious allegation, that some parishes have actually profited from the drug war through donations from drug barons. this sense were behind me was funded by the leader of a brutal drug gang. until very recently, there was a plaque on the wall dedicated to him. for many mexicans, this chapel is a disgrace and a symbol of the ball too close relationship between some sectors of the church and the drug traffickers. for every priest who has accepted a donation from the cartels, there is someone like this

. >>> pope benedict is wrapping up his trip to mexico.ast night he was serenaded by a band and much to the light of the crowd, put on a wide brimmed sombrero. pope benedict urged mexicans to stand up against drugs, violence and corruption. pony benedict heads to cuba, more than 300 cuban-americans are making a pilgrimage to the country they led. we take a look at the pope's historic visit. >> reporter: as the sun sets and another day in santiago, government workers finished up final preparations for pope benedict's open air mass here. in some places the smell of fresh paint overpowers the smell of a good cuban cigar. he taught at fordham university and a priest in santiago. what does it mean to have the pope in cuba? >> it's a present that invites to have more faith, more hope, more solidarity. >> reporter: for all the posters and enthusiasm, cuba is the least catholic country in latin america. communist party banned christmas until pope john paul visited in 1998. while most cubans are catholic, far less than 10% are considered practicing

>> in havana earlier, benedict of for catholic classes in school. the vatican says 300,000 people came together to hear the message. >> the papal mass in havana's revolutionary square. thousands gathered for the highlight and final stop of pope benedict's three-day tour. the pontiff used the occasion for a clear political message, calling for religious freedom and a stronger role for the catholic church. >> religious freedom of the individual and of society shows that people can be both christians and good citizens. it gives the faithful the right and the ability to make a positive contribution to society. and the relations between the church and communist cuba have improved since the last people visit 14 years ago. pope benedict urged cuba's leaders to build on what has been achieved. among those attending the mass where president ronald castro and high-ranking members of his regime. their presence is seen as a goodwill gesture, but the cuban government has reacted warily to the pope's cause for greater freedoms. earlier, a leading official said cu

she says, i don't care if the name is paul, john, peter, or benedict. to me he represents jesus christ on earth. we found the items the pope would get in a room filled with special presence. all specially made for him, red, size 9. vendors are selling gives on streetcorners. thousands of pilgrims arrived in central mexico to see the pope. maria says she is too busy to leave her factory. a bishop will hand deliver gift to pope benedict. >> new-home sales fell for the third straight month last month falling 1.6%. sales have fallen nearly 7% since december but on the flip side prices surged to their highest levels in eight months in suggesting that builders anticipate more demand in the near future. bankamerica is testing a new program that could keep families facing foreclosure in their homes. preselected customers will turn their deed over to the bank. it won't own a home but they won't owe any money on the mortgage and bank of america will let the customers rent the home back >> the pain at the pump is getting more painful. aaa puts the average price at

but benedict has at arrived -- pope benedict has arrived in cuba. is the second ever papal visit for the communist country, and the pope has been critical of the government, saying its marxist ideology is allocated. our correspondent is in havana for us tonight. >> thank you very much. welcome to the tropical island. this is just 90 miles from the tip of key west in florida, a world away from the western capitalist system. this is a socialist paradise. health care for all and not and equality for its citizens. -- and health care for a citizens'. it is not about the will of man. is about the will of god. is about the relationship between church and state. >> there are just five communist countries in the world, and this is one of them. still frozen in a cold war with its superpower neighbor. or the same men in the same party have ruled for more than 50 years. but may no mistake. cuba is slowly changing. [bell ringing] catholics and the communists may answer to different masters, but the pious and the political now live side by side. the woman in whit

it is the first stop on this communist island for pope benedict. that is because it is also home to the most important catholic shrine. cuban's flock to our lady of charity for everything, from freeing political prisoners to success in sports. all of that despite decades of atheism. the basilica has been spruced up for the pope by money from the church abroad. it is an honor to be involved. pope benedict is coming to santiago as a pilgrim to visit the shrine in the anniversary year. but the people have great expectations for his visit. the church hopes the visit can help boost its influence. only a fraction of cuban's regularly go to mass, though it is possible to be catholic and communist here. >> the pope will reinforce the church and strengthen our pastoral work for the year, and i think he will bring a message of hope to our people. >> and a country that is politically isolated and poor, people do think the pope can help with almost everything. brings us if he prosperity," this teacher tells me. and friendship not just with america but with the

tomorrow benedict heads to cuba where he faces a much tougher crowd. byron pitts is there. >> reporter: as the sun sets on another day in sant yaw santiago, government workers finished up the final preparations for pope ben digit's open-air mass here monday evening. in some places the smell of fresh paint overpowers the smell of a fresh cuban cigar. this father is a parish priest in santiago. what does it mean to have the pope in cuba? >> it is a presence that invites to have more faith, more hope, more solidarity. >> reporter: but for all the posters and enthusiasm, cuba is the least-catholic country in latin america. the communist party banned christmas until pope john paul ii visited in 1998. while most cubans are catholic, far less than 10% are considered practicing and most churches draw modest crowds. the latin tradition known as santaria is far more popular, a west african ritual born out of slavery and widely practiced across the island. the pope's visit comes at a time of economic hardship. with the decline of communism, the cuban government w

pope benedict also took a swipe at the u.s. for its 50-year-old embargo against cuba, saying the situation in cuba is "worsened when restrictive economic measures imposed from outside the country unfairly question, pope benedict's visit comes 14 years after the first fame us papal visit to cuba in 1998 by pope john paul ii. did pope benedict measure up to pope john paul? tim? >> i know a lot of people who are upset with john paul's visit in 1998, that he didn't come sort of rattling the saber at cuba in the way he had gone into eastern europe, when go behind the iron curtain and try to bring down the soviet empire. >> but this pope did. >> well, he fired as much ammo at the united states as he did as fidel castro there, and there's stronger critiques i could think of that would be very apt than to say this does not so respond with reality. it's an evil dogma that the communist treat and does not respect human liberty, and whatever the u.s. policy should be towards there, there needs to be a very firm message, and i hope that th

a bishop will hand deliver her gift to pope benedict.ica villamizar, cbs news mexico. >> it's the pope's first trip to these countries and as many as 300,000 people are expected at sunday's mass before pope benedict leaves for cuba on monday. >>> nice weather. >> unbelievable. >> oh my goodness. >> you have to get outside today. if you haven't been outside today. shame on you. >> if you can get down there do it now within the next few hours because the cherry blossoms are peaking right now and then you know you might still get a pretty good view on monday with temperatures in the 60s. they won't be in the # 0s, 80s, going back to the 80s, average high is 58. an incredible march and running way above average. one of the armets marches on record the -- warmest marches on record the way we're doing. expect lots of sunshine for the rest of the afternoon. temperatures and this is for reagan national. going to warm to 80 by 3:00 and low 810s this afternoon. there are going to be some spots locally 85 this afternoon. clearly on the way to -- ye

but benedict himself has already made comments that were clearly political. on the plane to mexico, benedict told reporters, today it is evident that marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer coincides with reality. echoing the words of pope john paul ii who famously asked castro to open cuba to the world. this time the pope will meet privately with castro's brother raul, the cuban president who is believed to be much more sympathetic to the catholic church. diana alvear, abc news, havana. >> the pope will be in santiago and havana. one of the oldest cathedrals in cuba. it's a stunning location. >> you have some cuban american history? >> yes, my mother is cuban. it's exciting to see this story. >> your pronunciation is flawless. i think we have some video of the pope in mexico earlier. >> yes, where he did apparently don a sombrero. >> that was a charming moment. >> there he goes. >> i love that. >> very nice. it fits well. >> he kept it on for a while. i don't know if he was meant to keep it on for just a second. he looked quite comfortable in

pope benedict gave a message of hope in a cup fighting a deadly drug war.rs came from all over the world including the u.s., but most were from mexico, thankful to have the pope in their country. this woman says, we come with great enthusiasm, and a lot of faith. the pope's next stop is here in cuba where he is going to try and draw more followers to the catholic church. it could be a challenge as only 10% of the population here call themselves catholics. the pope said at the beginning of his trip to latin america that communism no longer works in cube ba.

after arriving in cuba, benedict generally used less direct language. on tuesday, at a shrine to the virgin mary in santiago, he called for renewal. >> ( translated ): i have also ayed to the virgin for the needs of those who sfer, of those who are deprived of freedom, those who are separated from their loved ones or who are undergoing times of difficulty. >> brown: but a top cuban official said that while the country is making economic changes, the one-party political system will remain. >> ( translated ): in cuba, there will be no political reforms. in cuba we are talking about the actualization of the cuban economic model that will make our socialism viable. this has to do with the well- being of our people. >> brown: in recent years, the government has allowed the church to play a more active role. but there was little or no apparent contact between e pope and cuban dissidents. notably absent from the papal agenda and at today's mass were cuban dissidents. amnesty international said security forces harassed dissidents and kept them away from today's

benedict, who is 84 and castro 85 chatted for about half an hour. the meeting came after the pope celebrated an outdoor mass. he called on the u.s. to end its economic embargo of cuba. with the pope's visit, some americans are having a havana homecoming. the l.a. obstruction of justice dodgerl.a. dodgers are being so. and why won't the pentagon use its high tech ray gun in afghanistan when the "cbs evening news" continues. it's time to get going. to have the energy to turn a "to do" list into a memory. to put more giddy-up in our get-along. to keep stepping up even in overtime. it's time to start gellin' with dr. scholl's... ... and mix a little more hop in our hip hop. thanks to the energizing support and cushioning of dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles, your feet will feel so good... ... you'll want to get up and go. and these come together, one thing you can depend on is that these will come together. delicious and wholesome. some combinations were just meant to be. tomato soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. and then treats day a

next week, cuba will host pope benedict. it comes nearly 15 years after his predecessor made his historic journey to the nation. when pope benedict arias, it will be hard to describe the affect embargoes have had on the country's infrastructure. we thought they city undergoing change. >> the question is what is old havana? for most americans, they see as fidel castro and cigars. for me, old savannah is -- how bad is people. second of all, it is the chaotic -- for me, old havana is people. i have just finished a book about old havana, which captures the essence of what is going on in havana. i am not a street photographer. >> we tried to get a feeling of old havana. you come here and you have a special friend. you moved to a different neighborhood. everything is different. the people are different. they are sulfur in -- they are so friendly. >> you can see the change when they are starting to open businesses. they are facing such severe problems that they are having to change. you can see it on the street level. the exciting

. >>> pope benedict xvi condemns mexico's brutal drug war.tiff begins his first trip to the country. >> reporter: he walked with a cane as he boarded a flight to central mexico. aides say it gives him a sense of security. a country caught up in a brutal drug war has killed up to 50,000 people. pope benedict said a lust for money is fueling the violence. drug cartels have declared a truce saying they won't attack rival gangs during the trip. 13,000 police and soldiers are on guard to protect people and the pope. it's an international event, this officer says. we've never seen something of this magnitude. >> they are hoping to catch a glimpse of the pope. tens of thousands are expected to come. many believe that pope benedict won't get the same reception the last pope did. >> this man says a pope is like a politician and has to sell his policies. >> about 300,000 worshipers are expected to join pope benedict at a sunday mass. many are praying for one thing, the end of violence and the beginning of peace. wjz eyewitness news. >>> mexico has the

." >> pope benedict xvi and his visit to cuba. he urged cubans to search for greater freedom. an american teenager is found guilty of murdering two british tourists in florida. >> north korea plans a new missile test. the biggest scandal four years with china's communist party. it is 9:00 in singapore. it is 2:00 in london. broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the world. this is "newsday." >> hundreds of thousands of cubans have gathered to see pope benedict in revolution square. for the first time, the pope met with the leaders -- the nation's leader, fidel castro. >> it is not quite the dawning of a new era, but from first light, the faithful made their pilgrimage to the applause of the revolution. tens of thousands flocked to from their homes, emerging from a dark past of religious intolerance. a mixture of the devout and the dutiful. revolution square is normally home to giant socialist rallies. today was not about the rule of man, but the rule of god. as the crowd surged for a brief glance at the pontiff. >> i am happy, happy, happy, happy. today is a wond

pope benedict has been pushing for greater freedom for all cubans.d a sanctuary dedicated to the nation's patron saint. he told a crowd there he's praying for those who suffer and those who are deprived of freedom. the pope is also praying for renewal of the catholic faith here in cuba. his presence has made for a spiritual and literal homecoming for those who have left the island. >> i feel like i'm home. i feel like i never left. i come from a very catholic traditional family in cuba. >> reporter: she left cuba when she was 4 years old. she returned for the first time with her son, carlos. >> being here is a dream. it's become a reality. >> reporter: the miami arch die oe archdieocese organized it and he presided over mass in the havana cathedral. >> being here, participating in mass, underscoring the fact that cuban people remain one people. >> reporter: the pope will share that sacrament of unity when he celebrates an open-air mass with tens of thousands of followers. cbs news, havana, cuba. >>> provides recommendation from hurricane conference i

. >>> up next, pope benedict's visit to mexico. thousands of people visit to see the pontif, and they got an earful. also, tonight's massive mega millions jackpot almost $300 million. but will anyone claim the huge prize? and spacestation astronauts take cover. the floating junk that is drifting ever closer. all of that is coming up. and then later on "nightline." >> i'm bill we are. coming up, imaginary gastric bypass. one woman's journey to lose major pounds by fooling her mind into believing she has surgery. and the national memory champion teaches us all how to train our brains with an astonishing >>> pope benedict is in mexico. he was driven to the city. he promised to unmask the evil of drug trafficking. pope benedict said that cuba needs to get rid of marxism because it is no longer realistic. he will also visit cuba on his week long trip. >>> the furor over the shooting death of a plaque unarmed teen spreads. it went from florida to cities across the country. chuck silverstein has more. >> the miami team posed in hoodies, t

this is "newsday." >> hundreds of thousands of cubans have gathered to see pope benedict celebrate an open-air mass in revolution square on the last date of this visit to the island. for the first time, the pope met with the nation's revolutionary leader, fidel castro. our correspondent is in havana and has been gauging the reaction to the papal visit. >> it is not quite the dawning of a new era, but the faithful made their pilgrimage to the plaza of the revolution. tens of thousands flocked from their homes, emerging from a dark past of religious intolerance. a mixture of the devout and the beautiful -- dutiful. revolution square is normally home to giant socialist rallies. watched over by the day's -- gaze of an icon of marxist rebellion. today was not about the rule of man, but the rule of god. >> i am happy, happy, happy, happy. today is a wonderful day. in cuba, a wonderful day. >> pope benedict has chosen his words carefully this trip and a homily to the masses was no exception. it was a subtle message to the people and to this host. >> the truth is a desire of the human person,

pope benedict has arrived in cuba at the start of a three-day visit. he has been attending a huge open-air mass in revolution square in the city of santiago. it was attended by raul castro, who also welcomed him at the airport. the pope said he would come in peace, liberty, and reconciliation. president castro said socialist cuba allowed full freedom of religion. the relationship between the catholic church and the cuban state has improved in recent years, but the pope has been critical of the regime, saying its marxist ideology is outdated. and absolutely packed revolution square greeting the pope. >> yes, tens of thousands who came to take part in the mass and hear what the pope had to say. there was a crowd lining the road from the airport into the city of havana after the pope touchdown. he was met by the president, raul castro, and military band at the airport. there were huge crowds waving balloons and singing and dancing, lots of them wearing t- shirts with an image of the pope on it. a very celebratory mood. president raul castro and senior mem

the 72-foot christ the king monument towering above them on pope benedict's final day in mexico.he pope toured the crowd in his popemobile before the service, wearing a black and white sombrero, to the delight of the crowd. tomorrow the pope leaves mexico for cuba, and when he arrives, he'll be visiting a much different country than when pope john paul ii last visited 14 years ago. mark potter joins us now from havana. good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, lester. the pope is expected to see huge crowds here, too, and to meet with both raul and fidel castro during his three-day cuban visit. many here hope the trip will help strengthen the cuban catholic church which has been struggling to raise its profile after decades of being ostracized after the cuban revolution. in the last two years cardinal jaime ortega negotiated the release of prisoners and the church now provides much needed social services as cuba tries to reshape its troubled economy. still tengs remain over issues of religious and personal freedoms. last weekend members of the dissident group lady in white

pope benedict walked with a cane as he boarded a 13 hour flight.ves the 84-year-old a sense of security. the pope's three-day visit with the security of a country, caught up in a brutal drug war that killed $50,000. pope benedict said a lust for money is fueling the violence and he promised to unmatch the evil of drug trafficking. drug cartelled declared a truce, saying they won't attack rival gangs during the pope's trip. but a massive security operation is in place just in case. 13,000 police as well as soldiers are on guard to protect people and the pope. it's an international event, this officer says, with never seeing something of this magnitude. >> reporter: followers are starting to fill the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pope. tens and thousands are expected to come, but many believe that pope benedict won't get the same reception that the last pope did. this man says a pope is like a politician. he has to tell people what his policies are before they can decide whether to support him. the late pope made five trips to mexico and

pope benedict has gently been urging change. i prayed for the future of your country, he told this crowd, that it may advance along the path of renewal and hope for the greater good of all cubans. from santiago in the south, he brought that message of renewal to havana, where the catholic hierarchy came to greet him. after 40 years of state atheism, the church in cuba is just finding its feet. but, in apparent response to the pope, cuba has made its position clear. >> there will be no political reform in cuba. what we're talking about here is updating the cuban economic model to make our socialism sustainable, which is for the well-being of our people. >> but it was all smiles when the pope and president finally met. the church hopes all this can strengthen its position. for cuba, it's a rare moment in the international spotlight. and on the streets here, there are hopes for this papal visit. economic reforms are popular, but some do want more. the cuban people need a little bit more freedom, he says. we're deprived of many thin