Cuban exiles hopeful about pope's message of reconciliation

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami prepares to enter St. Patrick's church for Mass in Miami Beach, Florida, in this February 4, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity/Files

MIAMI (Reuters) - When John Paul II became the first pope to visit Cuba in 1998, Miami's large Cuban exile population recoiled at the prospect of the pontiff giving his blessing to the island's communist leaders.

Now, 17 years later, there is barely a whiff of protest from Miami Cubans as Pope Francis prepares to make the third papal trip to the island.