Pope Francis Cuba
Pope Francis climbs the steps to the altar upon arriving to give the first mass of his visit to Cuba in Havana's Revolution Square, September 20, 2015. Across from the square is a portrait of Che Guevara on the front of the Interior Ministry building. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

It was Pope Francis’s first full day of his apostolic visit to Cuba, and he celebrated with an outdoor Holy Mass in Havana’s iconic Revolution Plaza with President Raúl Castro and other leaders, including Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, president of Francis’ native Argentina, in attendance. The Mass marked the first time Cubans were addressed in Spanish by a Pontiff. “Christians are constantly called to set aside their own wishes and desires, their pursuit of power, and to look instead to those who are most vulnerable,” the Pope explained.

Further on, he spoke about the ideals of brotherhood, unity and selfless service. “Whatever wishes to be great must serve others, not be served by others,” the Pontiff insisted. Francis also addressed the Colombian government, insisting that they “could not allow “another failure on the path of peace and reconciliation,” meaning the talks being held in Havana about left-wing FARC rebels had to result in a pacific solution to end the conflicts in their country.

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