President Obama Talked to Raul Castro About Pope’s Visit
President Obama Talked to Raul Castro About Pope’s Visit
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VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MAY 10: President of Cuba Raul Castro and Pope Francis meet at the Paul VI Hall private studio during a private audience on May 10, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican. This is the first visit of the Cuban leader to the Vatican, twenty years ago his brother Fidel Castro had met John Paul II prior to his visit to Cuba. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)Vatican Pool—2015 Vatican Pool
President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro spoke on the phone Friday about normalizing relations between the two countries in time for Pope Francis’ visit.
According to a statement from the White House, the two Presidents agreed that Pope Francis had played a crucial role in reopening communications between the two countries and commended the cooperation between American and Cuban medics during a Navy visit to Haiti this week.
They also discussed further steps both countries can take to advance communication, including the recent opening of embassies in Washington and Havana.
The Pope is due to arrive in Cuba on Saturday and will then come to the U.S. for a several-day visit.
See Photos of Every Papal Visit to the U.S. in History
Pope Paul VI giving mass and sermon of peace at Yankee Stadium during historic visit. New York, 1965.Bill Eppridge—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPresident Lyndon Johnson and Pope Paul VI, the first Roman Catholic Pontiff to journey to the Western hemisphere, bid farewell to each other following their hour-long conference at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, N.Y., Oct. 4, 1965.PhotoQuest—Getty ImagesPresident Carter with Pope John Paul ll during a visit to Washington DC, on Oct. 7, 1979. Bill Fitzpatrick/White House—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCardinal Humberto S. Mederios and first lady Rosalyn Carter greeted Pope John Paul II on his arrival at Logan Airport. Boston, Oct. 1, 1979.David L. Ryan—The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II poses with American Bishop (and later Archibishop) John R. Quinn (center) during a visit to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, Sept. 18, 1987. With them in the background are Italian Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli (left), Italian Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States (and later Cardinal) Pio Laghi (second right), and Spanish Archbishop Substitute for General Affairs (and later Cardinal) Eduardo Martinez Somalo (right). Dirck Halstead—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II in front of a huge peace dove in a New Orleans' stadium prior to celebrating an open-air mass. Sept. 12, 1987.Jean Claude Delmas—AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Bill Clinton points out people in the crowd to Pope John Paul II on Aug. 12, 1993 in Denver.Luke Frazza—AFP/Getty ImagesFrank Rocha of Amarillo, Tex., weeps as he is blessed by Pope John Paul II at Denver's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Aug. 14, 1993.Pool—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves to the crowd upon his arrival at Camden Yards in Baltimore, for a mass on Oct. 8, 1995. Michel Gange—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II with members of the United Nations International School choir during his visit to the UN in New York, Oct. 5, 1995. Jon Levy—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves to the crowd as he arrives to say Mass in his bullet-proof "Popemobile" in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 27, 1999. Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty ImagesPope John Paul II waves as President Bill Clinton applauds during an arrival ceremony on Jan. 26, 1999 at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Mo.Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI reacts to the cheering crowd as he stands with George W. Bush upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, April 15, 2008 in Camp Springs, Md. Mark Wilson—Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate Mass, April 17, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images
