HAVANA, Cuba -- Shortly before Pope Benedict XVI met with Cuban ruler Raúl Castro for a courtesy visit and photo op at the opulent Palace of the Revolution Tuesday evening, Miami’s Archbishop Thomas Wenski criticized the Communist island’s Marxist ideologies during a Mass in the capital city’s oldest cathedral. In his homily, Wenski invoked Pope John Paul II, who visited Cuba in 1998 and called for more freedoms on the Communist island. Wenski then repeated Benedict’s earlier criticism of Marxism being “a spent ideology.’’ He urged Cubans to be the “protagonist of their own future,’’ and closed the homily with reference to “a celebration of reconciliation.’’ The Miami archbishop also told worshipers that the pope and the church in Cuba desire a political system that grants dignity to all people. His words were delivered to a full house of more than 300 mostly Cuban American pilgrims on the island for the pope’s visit. They received Wenski’s homily with a sustained, standing ovation. “We pray that the Cuban people are inspired by the word of God,” he said during his homily. “And that these people build a future of peace.” Some in the crowd wiped away tears. It was an emotional climax to an emotional day for many of the pilgrims, whose numbers grew to approximately 800 on Tuesday as three more planes arrived from Miami, carrying more pilgrims to join the 300 who’d arrived Monday in Santiago, the pope’s first stop. ‘SPECIAL MOMENT’ In a telephone conversation with The Miami Herald from Havana Tuesday night, Wenski was humble about his homily. “I was just repeating the pope’s message,” he said. “The Mass was a special moment for us. It was a special opportunity to celebrate at the mother church.” Asked if he thought the visit was having an impact, Wenski said: “I think so, especially for Cuban Americans who have joined us here. I think they’ve found the experience to be a very healing one for them.” In South Florida, some exiles said they didn’t think that Wenski’s words would amount to much. “Wenski is not there to say anything,’’ said Ernesto Portuondo, 67, of Ft. Lauderdale who came over in 1960 as a 15 year-old. “It’s the pope. He’s the one with the power. He’s the one the world knows.” And some said they were still waiting for the pope to meet with dissidents. “It would be very disappointing if he doesn’t,’’ said Giancarlo Sopo, 29, a Coral Gables marketing executive. “It certainly would be a missed opportunity.” Sopo was one of three 20-something Cubans who set up the One Cuba Facebook page, exhorting the pope to meet with dissidents. “The Ladies in White have been beaten, dragged through the street and humiliated in state orchestrated acts,” he said. “They deserve nothing less than a few minutes to meet with the Pope.” For of the pilgrims from South Florida, it was their first trip to Cuba or, at least, their first trip home since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Wenski, who is leading the pilgrimage, said before the Mass that the experience has been a healing one for most of the Cuban Americans on the trip. He said he could see the difference in their tears and the stories of reconciliation that they’ve told him.