--- description: Amid the celebrations and public speeches, the meeting between Pope Francis and Cuban President Raúl Castro seemed staid by comparison. title: Pope Francis Sits Down with Raúl Castro in Havana image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac8b4908555b8679/69886467428a9e10a8ccf34f/pope-francis-castro-cuba.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Pope Francis](/tag/pope-francis/) ## Pope Francis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Pope Francis Sits Down with Raúl Castro in Havana by [Elizabeth Dias](/author/elizabeth-dias/) ## Elizabeth Dias Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 20, 2015 9:05 PM CUT  Pope Francis is welcomed by Cuba's President Raul Castro during a meeting in the Revolution Palace in Havana on Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis is welcomed by Cuba's President Raul Castro during a meeting in the Revolution Palace in Havana on Sept. 20, 2015.Tony Gentile—Reuters by [Elizabeth Dias](/author/elizabeth-dias/) ## Elizabeth Dias Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 20, 2015 9:05 PM CUT Amid the celebrations and public speeches, the meeting Sunday between Pope Francis and Cuban President Raúl Castro seemed staid by comparison. The two leaders met at the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of government in Havana, shortly after 4 p.m., each flanked by deputies and other dignitaries. Standing in front of a dramatic stained glass portrait of the sun—the same backdrop used during Pope Benedict’s 2012 visit—Francis called forth the members of his delegation, which included Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana and former Cuban papal nuncio Giovanni Angelo Becciu. Castro then introduced his smaller delegation, which included Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is widely expected to replace him in 2018, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, who worked on the recent reconciliation with the United States, and Esteban Lazo, president of the Cuban parliament. After the introductions, the pope and the president left for a one-on-one meeting, while the members of the delegation went into a nearby hall for a separate discussion. **Read Next:** [_Pope Francis Focuses on the Individual in Cuban Mass_](http://time.com/4041609/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-mass/ "undefined") ### See Photos From Pope Francis' Arrival in Cuba  Cuba's President Raul Castro escorts Pope Francis during the pope's arrival ceremony at the airport in Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Ramon Espinosa—AP  People react after the arrival of Pope Francis outside the airport in Havana, on Sept. 19, 2015. Claudia Daut—Reuters  People watch as Pope Francis is shown on television as he arrives in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 19, 2015 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  People disperse after Pope Francis' motorcade passed by in Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Desmond Boylan—AP  People react as Pope Francis arrives at the airport in Havana, Sept. 19, 2015. Alexandre Meneghini—Reuters  People wave to Pope Francis in his popemobile on his way from the airport to Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Ismael Francisco—AP  Pope Francis arrives for the first mass of his visit to Cuba in Havana's Revolution Square, Sept. 20, 2015. Tony Gentile—Reuters  People attend Pope Francis' mass at Revolution Square in Havana, on September 20, 2015. Adalberto Roque—AFP/Getty Images  Pope Francis gives mass at Revolution Square in Havana, on Sept. 20, 2015. Rodrigo Arangua—AFP/Getty Images  Pope Francis and former President of Cuba Fidel Castro during their meeting at Castro's residence in Havana, on Sept. 20, 2015. Alex Castro—Cuba Debate/EPA  Pope Francis flashes a thumbs up to the choir after holding a Mass in the Plaza de la Revolution in Holguin, Cuba, on Sept. 21, 2015. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  Pope Francis is greeted by Cuba's President Raul Castro as he arrives to lead a mass for Catholic faithful in the city of Holguin, Cuba, on Sept. 21, 2015. Tony Gentile—Reuters ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4041802/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-raul-castro/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4041802/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-raul-castro/"},"headline":"Pope Francis Sits Down with Raúl Castro in Havana","datePublished":"2015-09-20T21:05:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:35.684Z","description":"Amid the celebrations and public speeches, the meeting between Pope Francis and Cuban President Raúl Castro seemed staid by comparison.","url":"https://time.com/4041802/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-raul-castro/","keywords":["Pope Francis","Pope Francis topic","Cuba topic","Raul Castro","Pope Francis US Visit"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac8b4908555b8679/69886467428a9e10a8ccf34f/pope-francis-castro-cuba.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Elizabeth Dias","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/elizabeth-dias/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac8b4908555b8679/69886467428a9e10a8ccf34f/pope-francis-castro-cuba.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pope Francis is welcomed by Cuba's President Raul Castro during a meeting in the Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, September 20, 2015. 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