Cuba tells Vatican it will open up media: report

ROME (Reuters) - Cuban authorities have promised the Vatican's No. 2 official that they will open up the country's media more to the Church, the Catholic news agency SIR reported on Tuesday.

The authorities had promised "more openings in written media and radio, and in certain exceptional cases, even television," SIR quoted Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone as telling Cuban Catholic media in a report from a correspondent there.

"It always starts with promises, but we hope for some opening, because nothing is impossible," Bertone, who is on a trip to Cuba, was quoted as saying by the agency. SIR noted the difficulties faced by the Catholic church in the communist country.

Bertone will meet Cuba's new President Raul Castro later on Tuesday. Castro is expected to open up Cuba's struggling economy slightly but has vowed to stick to socialism and consult his ailing brother Fidel on important issues.

SIR, whose Italian acronym stands for Religious Information Service, is close to the Italian Bishops' Conference.

(Writing by Deepa Babington)