Pope Francis ‘Played A Very Important Role’ In Renewed U.S. Relations With Cuba

According to President Barack Obama, Pope Francis “played a very important role” in paving the way for renewed dialogue between the United States and Cuba, and was at the forefront in promoting the initiative.

In an interview aired today on Good Morning America, Obama gave thanks to the Pope for his assistance in the matter, saying, “The Pope doesn’t wield armies. He can’t impose sanctions, but he can speak with great moral authority, and that makes a difference. And it certainly made a difference in this case.”

Even though the Pope wasn’t directly involved in talks between the U.S. and Cuba, the Vatican as a whole played a vital role in opening up diplomatic relations between the two countries, with “high-level administration officials” from both countries “in a meeting that was hosted by members of the Pope’s team.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday, “We certainly welcomed their participation in these conversations, and the degree to which the Pope and his team facilitated this reconciliation is one that we appreciate.”

As the Daily Mail reported today (December 18), the White House also credited the Pope with helping to jump start talks in the first place through personal letters he wrote to both Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro.

Those letters apparently encouraged both Obama and Castro to “resolve humanitarian questions of common interest, including the situation of certain prisoners.”

Even though Obama wasn’t present himself at the discussions, he did travel to the Vatican to visit the Pope back in March.

President Obama added, “To those who have supported these measures, I thank you for being partners in our efforts. In particular, I want to thank His Holiness Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is.”

For his part, Castro also expressed his gratitude for the Pope’s assistance in facilitating talks with U.S.

“The Holy See will continue to assure its support for initiatives which both nations will undertake to strengthen their bilateral relations and promote the well-being of their respective citizens,” he said in a statement.

It is possible that Pope Francis, being the first Pope to be chosen from a Latin American cultural background, was able to empathize with Cuban aspirations and outlook and thus facilitate the dialogue.