While in the U.S., Francis will conduct only four out of his 18 speeches in English, using his native Spanish for most of his homilies, greetings and other speaking engagements, the Vatican said yesterday.
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– Pope Francis has never been to Cuba, except for a one-hour, unscheduled stopover on a flight from Mexico City to Buenos Aires.
Just as Pope Francis has criticised capitalism, he has also highlighted the injustices of Communism and authoritarian Socialism.
Francis will also deliver English greetings to United Nations staff and benefactors in Philadelphia.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to happen or even should happen all in one fell swoop, but I think you look at the economic opportunities that are provided, they are significant”, he said.
Anticipating questions on whether a meeting between Francis and the former Cuban president would happen, Father Lombardi said that “in all likelihood it’s very predictable that it will happen, clearly during the day in Havana”. Russia currently holds the presidency, Father Lombardi said.
– Pope Francis will canonize the 18th-century Franciscan missionary Blessed Junipero Serra in Washington Sept. 23.
The pope has made it a custom on foreign trips to invite into his entourage a lay Vatican employee – besides members of his security, the leaders of the Swiss Guard and employees of the Vatican newspaper, radio and television center.
Titled “The necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba”, it denounces “the damage caused by this hostile policy for over five decades, which has cost the country billions, and has hampered the comprehensive development of Cuba’s children and youth”, according to state daily Granma.
“The Pope has had his eyes on Cuba for a long time”, said John Allen, a Vatican analyst and an associate editor of Cruz, The Boston Globe’s website about all things Catholic. Some hard-line exiles have criticized the pope’s support for President Barack Obama’s move to normalize relations.
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He will travel to Holguín Sept. 21, where he will celebrate Mass and bless the city before flying to Santiago that evening. From Washington to New York, then to Philadelphia and back to Rome, American Airlines will provide the plane for the pope, his entourage and about 75 media people from around the world.
