Vatican Spokesperson Praises Quality of Pope Masses in Cuba

Crowded masses by Pope Francis in Cuba stand out for their quality, because they have been spiritual and true, said today Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican Press Office. Lombardi told the journalists in Holguin, eastern province of Cuba, about the quality of the mass said by Pope Francis yesterday in Havana and the one offered by him here, at crowded Plaza de la Revolucion Calixto Garcia.

He said that the masses were full of positive messages to encourage the participation of all for a common good, of shared responsibility and something that the Pope called "social friendship", referring to solidarity.

Organizers of the visit told the Prensa Latina news agency that some 35,000 people gathered across the streets in Holguin to welcome Pope Francis, and 150,000 people went to the plaza to hear the mass.

Lombardi also said that in the next visit of Pope Francis, to the United States, he would probably refer to the rapprochement between this country and Cuba, nations that recently reestablished diplomatic ties after decades of rift.

Regarding the significance of the first Latin American Pope he said that he is a teacher of humanity from these times, since he has the ability to interpret and answer deep questions from these times.

After the mass in Holguin, Pope Francis went across the streets of the city and visited the statue of San Juan Pablo II, located at the atrium of the San Isidoro Cathedral to pay tribute to the first Pope that visited Cuba in 1998.

Later, Pope Francis is expected to visit La Loma de la Cruz and bless the site, which gives a panoramic view of the city.

He will later depart to Santiago de Cuba, his last stop in Cuba, where he will visit the sanctuary to the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, considered by Catholics as the patron saint of Cuba.