Pope Francis arrives in Cuba. Restore peace to the Americas is a sign of Hope.

Pope Francis landed in Havana on Saturday, the first of his 9-day visit to Cuba and the United States

Havana, Cuba (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Francis landed in Havana on Saturday, the first of his 9-day visit to Cuba and the United States, telling officials that the recent normalization of relations between the two countries is a sign of hope and victory.

span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.22;">"For some months now, we have witnessed an event which fills us with
hope: the process of normalizing relations between two peoples followingyears of estrangement," the Pope said Sept.  19, after landing in theCuban capital of Havana.

Quoting Cuban hero and tireless fighter for the country's independence,José Martí, Francis said the restoration of ties "is a sign of thevictory of the culture of encounter and dialogue, 'the system ofuniversal growth' over 'the forever-dead system of groups anddynasties.'"

He urged political leaders continue down this path and to "develop allits potentialities" as a sign of the service they are called to onbehalf of the "peace and well-being of their peoples, of all America,and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world."

Pope Francis landed in Havana's International José Marti airport at4p.m. local time, where he was greeted in an official welcoming ceremonyby Cuban president Raul Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino ofHavana, among others.

Pope Francis will spend three days on the island before heading to theUnited States the afternoon of Sept. 22, where he will address theUnited Nations, U.S. Congress, and participate in the World Meeting ofFamilies in Philadelphia.

While in Cuba, Pope Francis will meet with the country's bishops,families, and youth, and will pay a special visit to Santiago's shrineof Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patroness of Cuba.

In addition to meeting with Cuban president Raul Castro and thecountry's authorities, Francis will likely also meet with formerpresident and elder brother to Raul, Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba'scommunist revolution.

Francis offered a special greeting to Fidel when he landed, telling Raulin his speech to "convey my sentiments of particular respect andconsideration to your brother Fidel."

Pope Francis said that as an archipelago facing all directions, Cuba has"an extraordinary value as a key between north and south, east andwest."

The country's natural vocation, then, "is to be a point of encounter forall peoples to join in friendship."

He noted that 2015 marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment ofdiplomatic ties between the Republic of Cuba and the Holy See, and saidthat providence has allowed him to follow in the footsteps of both St.John Paul II in 1998 and Benedict XVI in 2012, in visiting the nation.

"Today we renew those bonds of cooperation and friendship, so that theChurch can continue to support and encourage the Cuban people in itshopes and concerns, with the freedom, the means and the space needed tobring the proclamation of the Kingdom to the existential peripheries ofsociety," he said.

Pope Francis also observed how his trip coincides with the centenary ofBenedict XV's declaration of our Lady of Charity of El Cobre asPatroness of Cuba.

It was the veterans of the Cuban War of Independence who, "moved bysentiments of faith and patriotism," wrote a letter to Benedict XVofficially asking him to declare her patroness of the country.

Growing devotion to the Virgin of Cobre "is a visible testimony of herpresence in the soul of the Cuban people," he said, explaining that hewill visit her shrine as "a son and pilgrim," in order to pray for Cubaand all its people,  "that it may travel the paths of justice, peace,liberty and reconciliation."

Pope Francis concluded his address by entrusting his visit to Our Ladyof Charity of El Cobre, as well as Blessed Olallo Valdés, Blessed JoséLópez Pietreira and Venerable Félix Varela, all of whom are Cubans onthe path to sainthood.

Francis has played a key role in normalizing relations between the Cubaand the United States, who on Dec. 17, 2014 announced a prisonerexchange as well as a historic shift in their relationship, which fordecades has been marked by an embargo and lack of formal diplomaticrelations.

Official ties between the two countries were severed in 1961, shortlyafter the communist revolution, a diplomatic gulf widened by an embargoon travel and trade.

However, the Obama administration had made small changes to existingpolicy starting in 2009, including Cuban-Americans having a limitedfreedom to travel between the countries and send money to Cuba.
In 2013, secret talks between diplomats began to open up relations,aided by the support of the Vatican. Pope Francis made a personal toboth U.S. president Barack Obama and Cuban president Raul Castro to cometo a deal, particularly regarding diplomacy and long-held prisoners.

Full diplomatic relations were officially restored as of midnight July20, and embassies were re-opened and flags raised later in the day as anoutward sign of the diplomatic thaw.

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