Francis praised Cubans' courage, when he visited the Caribbean island in September 2015 and preached reconcilliation in a service, hinting at his role — explored below — in bringing Cuba together with the United States after over half a century of estrangement. He also urged the United States to end its economic blockade on the island. He met with revolutionary leader and former President Fidel Castro and also commented on Colombia's peace process, as talks have been taking place in Cuba for over three years to reconcile the government with the FARC rebels. Francis also gave a searing speech laying into the ills of capitalism while on the communist island.
President Barack Obama greeted the pope upon his arrival in the U.S., also in September 2015. Francis made some conservative enemies — see below for more — with his speeches there, in which he urged action on climate change and to end the death penalty. In Philadelphia, he urged an audience of immigrant communities to never forget their traditions. He also, controversially, canonized early Catholic settler Friar Junipero Serra, who is seen by some Indigenous communities as complicit in native genocide.
The Pope as World Leader
There is no doubt that, comparatively speaking, Francis is far more progressive than his predecessors. Since he was elected as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has sparked enthusiasm throughout the world. His unorthodox stance on religious matters and the viewpoints that he expressed on worldly affairs have gained him a tremendous reputation in a few months. Today, even left-leaning voices are willing to postpone criticism of the ongoing negative influence of the Church in several areas – from gender and sexuality to education and women’s right to abortion – to celebrate Francis’ endorsement of a number of just causes. READ MORE
News last December that the United States and Cuba would work to restore diplomatic relations took the world by surprise. In effect, U.S. President Barack Obama admitted that his country's half century attempt to defeat Cuba had failed.
Pope Francis' visit to the U.S. and Cuba comes after a tour of South America, in which he took in Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia. READ MORE
As Pope Francis prepares for his second visit to Latin America since assuming his position as leader of the Catholic Church, social movements are also preparing for their second meeting with Pontiff to address social issues including climate change and inequality. READ MORE
RELATED: Pope to Join Thousands at World Meeting of Social Movements
RELATED: Vatican Calls for Meeting With Social Movements
RELATED: New Treaty Formalizes Vatican Recognition of Palestinian State
RELATED: Pope Francis Slams Top Vatican Bureaucrats
RELATED: Pope Francis to Meet with LGBT Leaders in Paraguay