After his first meeting with the Pope in Italy, Raul Castro announced that he had been persuaded to soften his stance on religion and possibly return to the Catholic Church.

"As I've already told my council of advisers, I read all of the Pope's speeches," he said. "If the Pope continues to speak like this, sooner or later I will start praying again and I will return to the Catholic Church -- and I'm not saying this jokingly."

Castro also said he would be one of the people to see the Pope when he makes a visit to Cuba this fall.

"I promise that I will go to all of his Masses -- and with satisfaction. I left the meeting this morning impressed, very impressed by his knowledge, his wisdom, modesty, and by all the virtues that we know he has," Castro said.

As a communist nation, Cuba has not been kind to its religious citizens. While the constitution of Cuba prohibited religious discrimination since 1992, the U.S. State Department reported last year the country still restricts religious expression.

"I am a communist of the Cuban Communist Party," Raul Castro said Sunday. "The party never allowed the believers. Now we are allowing that believers also be part. This is an important step."

The Vatican reported the meeting between Castro and the Pope as being "very friendly" and the two men exchanged gifts.