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| Pope Francis to arrive for Cuba visit before US tour – live | Pope Francis to arrive for Cuba visit before US tour – live |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| 7.53pm BST19:53 | |
| This is the newly-opened American embassy in Havana, Cuba. | |
| Eccola! L'Ambasciata USA a L'Avana! #ElPapaEnCuba pic.twitter.com/VAwmV46my5 | |
| Pope Francis played a key role in brokering the thaw in diplomatic relations between the two countries, as this article details. | |
| 7.40pm BST19:40 | |
| Jonathan Watts is on the ground in Havana for the Guardian, where he reports that hotels in Havana have added a “papal premium” to their already high prices. | |
| A receptionist at the Melia Cohiba said room rates were up 50% this weekend. Nonetheless, the hotel is full. I’ve never seen so many dog-collars at breakfast. Clergy from all over the world have flown in to Havana ahead of the Pope’s visit. | |
| They include Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, and the retired archbishop of Washington, Theodore Edgar McCarrick, who told me he was also in Havana for the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1998. | |
| ‘That was a first by a pope,’ he said, ‘but today’s visit is also very exciting because Francisco is a historic personality.’” | |
| 7.27pm BST19:27 | |
| Here’s more from Rome correspondent Stephanie Kirchgaessner about life on board the Papal Plane (which, it turns out, is not actually called “Shepherd One.”) | |
| It is now customary for the pope to take questions on the return legs of a trip, and the Vatican has already said that the pope may take a few questions when he leaves Cuba en route to Washington. | |
| The Q and A can be stressful for journalists. According to some who spoke about the experience to the Guardian, journalists are grouped together based on the language they speak - an English group, French group, etc - and then are forced to agree on what they will ask, who will ask it, and in what order. Those who have been on board say that the most contentious discussions and debates over questions were always among the Americans and other English-speaking journalists on board. | |
| But life on the papal plane really isn’t that bad. Veteran Vaticanista John Allen, who is associate editor of the Crux website, sent a tweet of the wine list this morning: | |
| And, certainly not to be forgotten, here's the Papal Plane wine list ... pic.twitter.com/cXPPWsKzcM | |
| 7.20pm BST19:20 | 7.20pm BST19:20 |
| In Havana, an altar has been prepared for the papal mass tomorrow in Revolutionary Square. | In Havana, an altar has been prepared for the papal mass tomorrow in Revolutionary Square. |
| L'altare papale in Plaza de la Revolución #ElPapaEnCuba pic.twitter.com/2bpcFCWSH8 | L'altare papale in Plaza de la Revolución #ElPapaEnCuba pic.twitter.com/2bpcFCWSH8 |
| Revolutionary Square in Havana is almost ready for @Pontifex. Ear-splitting sound check went to 11. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/jzsmdk1mWR | Revolutionary Square in Havana is almost ready for @Pontifex. Ear-splitting sound check went to 11. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/jzsmdk1mWR |
| 7.06pm BST19:06 | 7.06pm BST19:06 |
| Papal visits abroad offer a rare opportunity for journalists to ask questions directly of the pontiff, Guardian correspondent Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome writes. | Papal visits abroad offer a rare opportunity for journalists to ask questions directly of the pontiff, Guardian correspondent Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome writes. |
| Pope Francis is flying to Havana on Alitalia, the customary choice for papal trips. His entourage includes about 75 journalists. Usually the pope greets reporters once he is on board - some chat with him, others maintain a respectful smile and nod. | Pope Francis is flying to Havana on Alitalia, the customary choice for papal trips. His entourage includes about 75 journalists. Usually the pope greets reporters once he is on board - some chat with him, others maintain a respectful smile and nod. |
| The Vatican received an unprecedented number of requests from journalists seeking to get on board - and many were denied. For those who are on the flight, one highlight is the fact that being on the papal plane is the only opportunity many will ever have to ask the pope a question, since he does not hold press conferences and rarely does interviews. | The Vatican received an unprecedented number of requests from journalists seeking to get on board - and many were denied. For those who are on the flight, one highlight is the fact that being on the papal plane is the only opportunity many will ever have to ask the pope a question, since he does not hold press conferences and rarely does interviews. |
| In July 2013, it was a question on the plane from a Brazilian reporter called Ilze Scamparini - about an allegedly gay Vatican official and the existence of a supposed ‘gay lobby’ - that prompted Pope Francis to utter his now-famous words: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” | In July 2013, it was a question on the plane from a Brazilian reporter called Ilze Scamparini - about an allegedly gay Vatican official and the existence of a supposed ‘gay lobby’ - that prompted Pope Francis to utter his now-famous words: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?” |
| Updated at 7.10pm BST | Updated at 7.10pm BST |
| 7.02pm BST19:02 | 7.02pm BST19:02 |
| Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Pope Francis’ arrival in Cuba, prior to his visit to the island and then the United States. | Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Pope Francis’ arrival in Cuba, prior to his visit to the island and then the United States. |
| First on the papal itinerary is Cuba, the island nation whose relations with the US have just been thawed by President Obama, who re-opened the US embassy in Havana earlier this year. The papal visit is especially meaningful as Francis played a crucial role in brokering the deal between the two countries after sending letters to both Raúl Castro and Barack Obama, urging them to re-open dialogue. | First on the papal itinerary is Cuba, the island nation whose relations with the US have just been thawed by President Obama, who re-opened the US embassy in Havana earlier this year. The papal visit is especially meaningful as Francis played a crucial role in brokering the deal between the two countries after sending letters to both Raúl Castro and Barack Obama, urging them to re-open dialogue. |
| This will be the third visit to Cuba by a pontiff in the last 17 years. | This will be the third visit to Cuba by a pontiff in the last 17 years. |
| I ask you to join me in praying for my trip to Cuba and the United States. I need your prayers. | I ask you to join me in praying for my trip to Cuba and the United States. I need your prayers. |
| The papal plane is scheduled to touch down at Havana’s Jose Marti airport at 4.05pm US eastern time, at which point there will be a welcoming ceremony, at which the pope will give a speech. | The papal plane is scheduled to touch down at Havana’s Jose Marti airport at 4.05pm US eastern time, at which point there will be a welcoming ceremony, at which the pope will give a speech. |
| He will conduct an outdoor mass in Revolution Square on Sunday, then visit Solguin and Santiago de Cuba on Monday before departing for Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington DC on Tuesday. | He will conduct an outdoor mass in Revolution Square on Sunday, then visit Solguin and Santiago de Cuba on Monday before departing for Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington DC on Tuesday. |
| Stay tuned for live updates. | Stay tuned for live updates. |