Cautious on politics, Pope celebrates Mass in east Cuba
- 9 years ago
Pope Francis heads to eastern Cuba on Monday to celebrate the second Mass of a trip that has earned him praise for aiding the Communist rulers' rapprochement with Washington but during which he has steered clear of overt politics.
He will be the first Pope to visit Holguin, capital of the province where the Castro brothers, Raul and Fidel, grew up.
On nearly every block, posters welcoming the pontiff adorn doors and telephone poles, while bike-taxis and horse-drawn carriages traverse below the yellow-and-white flags of the Vatican, fluttering alongside Cuba's red, white, and blue.
Raul Castro's government hopes the 78-year-old Argentine pontiff will condemn the still-intact U.S. economic embargo against Cuba before leaving on Tuesday.
He will be the first Pope to visit Holguin, capital of the province where the Castro brothers, Raul and Fidel, grew up.
On nearly every block, posters welcoming the pontiff adorn doors and telephone poles, while bike-taxis and horse-drawn carriages traverse below the yellow-and-white flags of the Vatican, fluttering alongside Cuba's red, white, and blue.
Raul Castro's government hopes the 78-year-old Argentine pontiff will condemn the still-intact U.S. economic embargo against Cuba before leaving on Tuesday.