Pope Francis has met with former leader Fidel Castro during his visit to Cuba. Â The two met for 30 minutes at Castro’s home and exchanged gifts.
Francis blessed the Cuban people during Mass in the capital, Havana’s Revolution Square. Thousands gathered for the ceremony along with President Raul Castro which was conducted in Spanish by the first Latin-American Pope. It is the first papal visit since St John Paul II became the first pope to visit the island in 1998.
Pope Francis encouraged Cuba to grant more freedom to the Roman Catholic Church which has suffered much repression in the Communist state. Most Cubans are Catholic but fewer than 10% practice their faith.
He did not condemn the US economic embargo which is still in place. The Vatican has long opposed the embargo on the grounds that it hurts ordinary Cubans most.