Papal visit to Cuba is a well-timed sign

Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba is a sign of his closeness to the nation’s people at a time they “breathe the air of hope” that relations with the US will improve, according to Guantanamo-Baracoa’s Bishop Wilfredo Pino Estevez.

“It’s not easy to live at odds with your next door neighbour,” Bishop Pino wrote in a Sept. 1 pastoral letter. “That’s why it’s very important what the Pope is coming to do, as the universal pastor of the Church, in the search for reconciliation and peace among all peoples of the Earth.”

Pope Francis, who is credited with helping work to heal the historic divide between the US and Cuba, will celebrate Mass in three Cuban cities between September 19 and 22 before flying to Washington.