Havana, September 19 (RHC)-- Brazilian theologian Frei Betto said on Saturday in Havana that Pope Francis is making a true revolution within the Catholic Church.

In statements to reporters, Betto, who is here in Cuba to attend activities of the first-ever Latin American pope, said that the current pope is eliminating many taboos, mainly those related to the family and human rights. Betto said: “the pope is openly in favor of the poor and against environmental degradation. That is why all the progressive forces of Latin America are happy with the pope's stance, which is perfectly in tune with liberation theology.”

The prestigious Brazilian theologian praised the pope's contribution to the current new era in U.S.-Cuba relations.

Regarding relations between Cuba and the Vatican, Frei Betto said bilateral ties are good, evidence of which are the visits here of Pope John Paul II in 1998, Benedict XVI in 2012 and now, Pope Francis.