Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington and Havana that dates back to the Cuban missile crisis.
Cuba said this week that it was releasing 553 prisoners “in the spirit of" Francis' 2025 Holy Year and had informed the pope of its decision ahead of time. The move came a day after the Biden administration announced its intention to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
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