Interacting with the people, empathic with the Catholic faithful and other believers, and non-believing Cubans in general, Pope Francis made the most of his first day in Cuba’s eastern provinces.

During his stay in Holguín, the Pope celebrated mass in Calixto García Plaza, with President Raúl Castro in attendance, and blessed the city from the Hill of the Cross, before traveling on the Santiago de Cuba, where he was met by Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power and local government leader, Reinaldo García Zapata.

After the welcome in Santiago, he traveled to Cobre to venerate Our Lady of Charity and held a private meeting with Cuban bishops at the San Basilio Seminary.