Holguin, Cuba - The Bishop of the Cuban city of Holguin, Monsignor Emilio Aranguren, expressed today the cordial, filial and fraternal gratitude to Pope Francis for his visit to this eastern Cuban city, a fact from which he stressed its significance.

During a huge mass at the "Calixto Garcia" Revolution Square, Aranguren said here they strive to be a servant Church that comes every day to reach out those in need, following Jesus´ teachings that mercy is expressed in concrete and precise gestures.

He said that as a Church, he is responsible for favoring "the pastoral of the meeting," as Pope Francis calls it, which promotes the encounter among friends, relatives, neighbors and fellow citizens.

During the first visit by a Holy Pontiff to this city, the monsignor recalled that Admiral Christopher Columbus came to Cuba, on October 28, 1492, for this land, when he stepped the Bariay beaches.

He also recalled that the image of the Virgin of La Caridad del Cobre came to the archipelago for the Holguin locality of Nipe, in 1612.

Aranguren asked Pope Francis to bless those attending the mass, those who observe it through media, and those who helped to organize this event.

During their stay here, His Holiness blessed the city from the Loma de la Cruz, a place full of symbolism and tradition where the whole city is visible.

Another moment expecting here with particular interest is the visit to the statue erected to John Paul II, a Pope who visited Cuba in January 1998. Located in the atrium of the San Isidoro Cathedral, opposite the park of the same name, the image pays tribute to the Pontiff who ordered the creation of the Diocese of Holguin, comprising the territories of this province and neighboring Las Tunas, members of the organizing committee told Prensa Latina.