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| Pope Francis journeys to Washington to begin historic US visit – live updates | Pope Francis journeys to Washington to begin historic US visit – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.43pm BST15:43 | |
| Anita Chabria | |
| As the pope talks to families in Cuba, let us return to the US quickly – to San Francisco. The “ultra conservative” Salvatore Cordileone, reminds progressives and reformers that he and the pope are on the same page – the pontiff is just more charistmatic. Anita Chabria reports. | |
| Related: 'Ultra conservative' California archbishop sees similarities with pope | |
| Updated at 3.43pm BST | |
| 3.33pm BST15:33 | |
| Pope Felix V? | |
| "Kitkit, of Brightwood, is super stoked about Pope Francis’ visit.” http://t.co/1i7lMDqg5d #PopeInDC #PopeinUS pic.twitter.com/aYstvZ5cQN | |
| 3.31pm BST15:31 | |
| What were we saying earlier about progressives in the US who are excited for the pope’s visit? | |
| Pope Francis has forcefully reminded us that greed, and the worship of money, is not what human existence should be about. | |
| 3.28pm BST15:28 | |
| A family arises to thank the pope, including for his “defence of life from birth to natural death”. The little girl burbles and is gently shushed. Francis looks on benevolently before sharing kisses and an awkward handshake with Dad, that turns into a fraternal hug. It’s the father’s birthday today too, he’s 36! | |
| 3.24pm BST15:24 | |
| Archbishop of Santiago, Dionisio Guillermo García Ibáñez, emphasizes the music and culture of his city before asking the pope’s blessing. He makes a point of distinguishing it from Havana: | |
| “Santiago has its own identity that is distinct, that is marked by its love of the virgin, its Cuban hospitality and its joy.” | |
| 3.22pm BST15:22 | |
| Novelist and journalist Alfredo José Estrada writes for Comment is Free that “for my parent’s generation, Obama’s reconciliation [with Cuba] has been a bitter pill to swallow, and the pope’s role a betrayal, since most are devout Catholics.” | |
| Related: Pope Francis's failure to chide Cuba makes his visit there an empty symbol | Alfredo José Estrada | |
| 3.19pm BST15:19 | |
| Pope Francis is in Santiago de Cuba’s cathedral to meet families and bless the city. People are waving Cuban flags (and fans). I’ve got to say, he is starting to look a bit tired. I can’t blame him, this has been a marathon tour, especially for a 78-year-old. | |
| 3.11pm BST15:11 | |
| Jonathan Watts | |
| Cuba’s Catholicism, like in other Latin American nations, is a blend of Roman, Indigenous and African spiritual traditions – a syncretic mix called Santería. Jon Watts has written on it here: | |
| Santería, which has its origins in the Yoruba mythology of what is now Nigeria, emerged as a result of slavery. Brought to the New World to work on sugar plantations, the slaves had Christianity imposed upon them. To maintain their beliefs, they – at first secretly – syncretised their spirits or orishas with Roman Catholic saints. | |
| Related: Cuba's Santería faithful experience Pope Francis's visit through different prism | |
| 3.04pm BST15:04 | 3.04pm BST15:04 |
| Stephanie Kirchgaessner | Stephanie Kirchgaessner |
| Pope Francis brings America into focus – Stephanie Kirchgaessner with a dispatch from Rome: | Pope Francis brings America into focus – Stephanie Kirchgaessner with a dispatch from Rome: |
| When Pope Francis arrives in the US, he will encounter not only adoring crowds and smiling faces but conservative bishops who are less than thrilled with the direction in which the pontiff is taking the church. | When Pope Francis arrives in the US, he will encounter not only adoring crowds and smiling faces but conservative bishops who are less than thrilled with the direction in which the pontiff is taking the church. |
| While the Argentinian comes off as a warm and generous soul, most Vatican experts are quick to point out that he is also a shrewd operator. That’s why this recent observation by Robert Mickens, writing in his column Roman Observer for the National Catholic Reporter, was so fascinating. | While the Argentinian comes off as a warm and generous soul, most Vatican experts are quick to point out that he is also a shrewd operator. That’s why this recent observation by Robert Mickens, writing in his column Roman Observer for the National Catholic Reporter, was so fascinating. |
| Mickens recounts the story of the pope’s recent and unexpected visit to the optician to have his lenses (but not his frames) adjusted. Francis did not visit any old optician. Instead he went to one in one of the swankiest areas of Rome, on Via del Babuino. | Mickens recounts the story of the pope’s recent and unexpected visit to the optician to have his lenses (but not his frames) adjusted. Francis did not visit any old optician. Instead he went to one in one of the swankiest areas of Rome, on Via del Babuino. |
| As Romans and tourists alike realized what was going on, crowds began to gather around the opticians’ window, their smartphones recording every minute of the spectacular site. Indeed, it could as easily have been Beyonce or Lady Gaga inside the store, give the hoopla. | As Romans and tourists alike realized what was going on, crowds began to gather around the opticians’ window, their smartphones recording every minute of the spectacular site. Indeed, it could as easily have been Beyonce or Lady Gaga inside the store, give the hoopla. |
| “Too many miss the deeper, perhaps more subtle significance of what the pope is up to,” Mickens writes. He then goes on to explain: | “Too many miss the deeper, perhaps more subtle significance of what the pope is up to,” Mickens writes. He then goes on to explain: |
| Francis carefully arranged this seemingly normal outing to make a very important statement ... He was sending an unmistakably clear message to those who have still not embraced the reforming spirit ... The framework for reform has not changed, but the pope has sharpened his eyesight and will focus greater clarity to bring forth his vision for a church that takes risks, is poor for the poor and lavishly shows mercy. | Francis carefully arranged this seemingly normal outing to make a very important statement ... He was sending an unmistakably clear message to those who have still not embraced the reforming spirit ... The framework for reform has not changed, but the pope has sharpened his eyesight and will focus greater clarity to bring forth his vision for a church that takes risks, is poor for the poor and lavishly shows mercy. |
| Mickens then concludes that the pope was making another important point to those bishops who are still not on board: do not forget who the crowds are rooting for. | Mickens then concludes that the pope was making another important point to those bishops who are still not on board: do not forget who the crowds are rooting for. |
| Related: Holy order: Pope Francis takes trip to opticians for new glasses | Related: Holy order: Pope Francis takes trip to opticians for new glasses |
| Updated at 3.05pm BST | Updated at 3.05pm BST |
| 2.48pm BST14:48 | 2.48pm BST14:48 |
| Papal biographer says Pope Francis is building Cuba's post-communist future | Papal biographer says Pope Francis is building Cuba's post-communist future |
| Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh says the visit of Pope Francis is so significant because Francis is acting is a kind of “broker” or “guarantor” for the Cuban people’s desire for independence. | Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh says the visit of Pope Francis is so significant because Francis is acting is a kind of “broker” or “guarantor” for the Cuban people’s desire for independence. |
| “He’s a Latin American nationalist,” Ivereigh told Net TV on Tuesday. “The talks here have been incredibly rich, incredibly patriotic language he’s been using here ... he’s building a post-communist future without once referring to communism”. | “He’s a Latin American nationalist,” Ivereigh told Net TV on Tuesday. “The talks here have been incredibly rich, incredibly patriotic language he’s been using here ... he’s building a post-communist future without once referring to communism”. |
| “The backdrop to this visit is the revolution, of course it is, he doesn’t need to say so,” Ivereigh added. | “The backdrop to this visit is the revolution, of course it is, he doesn’t need to say so,” Ivereigh added. |
| “It’s quite striking that on this visit there is no visit to a prison, or an old person’s home, or a poor village ... what he calls places of pain. | “It’s quite striking that on this visit there is no visit to a prison, or an old person’s home, or a poor village ... what he calls places of pain. |
| “Why aren’t there any on this itinerary?” Ivereigh said, adding that the whole island seemed like such a place. | “Why aren’t there any on this itinerary?” Ivereigh said, adding that the whole island seemed like such a place. |
| Bishops were interviewed on Cuban television for the first time since the revolution, Ivereigh said, which showed the significance of the pilgrimage. | Bishops were interviewed on Cuban television for the first time since the revolution, Ivereigh said, which showed the significance of the pilgrimage. |
| Updated at 2.52pm BST | Updated at 2.52pm BST |
| 2.38pm BST14:38 | 2.38pm BST14:38 |
| 2.34pm BST14:34 | 2.34pm BST14:34 |
| Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh tells Net TV that this trip is a sign that the pope is a “man in a hurry”, a reminder that the pope has only anticipated a five-year pontificate. | Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh tells Net TV that this trip is a sign that the pope is a “man in a hurry”, a reminder that the pope has only anticipated a five-year pontificate. |
| 2.31pm BST14:31 | 2.31pm BST14:31 |
| Adam Brereton | Adam Brereton |
| Why has Pope Francis chosen to end his Cuban tour in El Cobre and Santiago de Cuba, rather than in the capital, Havana? Reading the pope’s homilies over the last few days, let’s talk about marginality. | Why has Pope Francis chosen to end his Cuban tour in El Cobre and Santiago de Cuba, rather than in the capital, Havana? Reading the pope’s homilies over the last few days, let’s talk about marginality. |
| Francis has repeatedly spoken about the people at the margins: the disabled, children, the poor and so on. | Francis has repeatedly spoken about the people at the margins: the disabled, children, the poor and so on. |
| But marginality also means geography: that’s El Cobre and Santiago de Cuba, for sure. Geographically, it couldn’t be further from the capital: | But marginality also means geography: that’s El Cobre and Santiago de Cuba, for sure. Geographically, it couldn’t be further from the capital: |
| It’s also marginal in other ways: El Cobre is a former slave and mining town, Santiago de Cuba has a significant link with Jamaican culture. | It’s also marginal in other ways: El Cobre is a former slave and mining town, Santiago de Cuba has a significant link with Jamaican culture. |
| Santiago is also politically significant for reasons that will be familiar to those living under the Castro regime: it was one of the sites of early mass executions under the revolutionary government | Santiago is also politically significant for reasons that will be familiar to those living under the Castro regime: it was one of the sites of early mass executions under the revolutionary government |
| It’s also the burial site of Jose Martí, a national hero and the father of Cuban independence, who died in 1895. | It’s also the burial site of Jose Martí, a national hero and the father of Cuban independence, who died in 1895. |
| There’s a sense that communist “culture” is more marginal here, especially in El Cobre, or perhaps more liminal, and that the pope can reach through it into the country’s Catholic past. That’s the message he’s been delivering again and again on this tour: there is dignity in reclaiming the lost traditions of the Cuban people. | There’s a sense that communist “culture” is more marginal here, especially in El Cobre, or perhaps more liminal, and that the pope can reach through it into the country’s Catholic past. That’s the message he’s been delivering again and again on this tour: there is dignity in reclaiming the lost traditions of the Cuban people. |
| Updated at 2.33pm BST | Updated at 2.33pm BST |
| 2.10pm BST14:10 | 2.10pm BST14:10 |
| Congress has issued etiquette rules for the pope’s US visit which include no fist-bumps and no selfies, according to EWTN commentator Raymond Arroyo. The question is whether Francis sticks to the rules himself, I guess. | Congress has issued etiquette rules for the pope’s US visit which include no fist-bumps and no selfies, according to EWTN commentator Raymond Arroyo. The question is whether Francis sticks to the rules himself, I guess. |
| 1.52pm BST13:52 | 1.52pm BST13:52 |
| My colleague Richard Nelsson has taken a journey through 50 years of papal visits to the US, as covered by the Guardian. | My colleague Richard Nelsson has taken a journey through 50 years of papal visits to the US, as covered by the Guardian. |
| Related: Fifty years of papal visits to the United States: from the Guardian archive | Related: Fifty years of papal visits to the United States: from the Guardian archive |
| Updated at 2.35pm BST | Updated at 2.35pm BST |
| 1.45pm BST13:45 | 1.45pm BST13:45 |
| Reporters on the trail have noted on Twitter that, at previous masses, many didn’t know the responses to various parts of the liturgy (when the priest says “the lord be with you”, the congregation responds “and with your spirit” and so on.) | Reporters on the trail have noted on Twitter that, at previous masses, many didn’t know the responses to various parts of the liturgy (when the priest says “the lord be with you”, the congregation responds “and with your spirit” and so on.) |
| That doesn’t seem to be the case at El Cobre. The congregation is responding and praying enthusiastically with the pontiff. Raúl Castro is there too; maybe it’s all coming back to him and he’ll make good on his promise to return to the Catholic church? | That doesn’t seem to be the case at El Cobre. The congregation is responding and praying enthusiastically with the pontiff. Raúl Castro is there too; maybe it’s all coming back to him and he’ll make good on his promise to return to the Catholic church? |
| Pope calls for revolution of love and tenderness on last day in Cuba pic.twitter.com/G9SrzuRVZF | Pope calls for revolution of love and tenderness on last day in Cuba pic.twitter.com/G9SrzuRVZF |
| Updated at 1.49pm BST | Updated at 1.49pm BST |
| 1.35pm BST13:35 | 1.35pm BST13:35 |
| Can Pope Francis help US politics “rise from the partisan swamp of Washington to higher moral ground”? Many US progressives hope so. | Can Pope Francis help US politics “rise from the partisan swamp of Washington to higher moral ground”? Many US progressives hope so. |
| My colleague Ed Pilkington reports that pro-immigrant groups, anti-inequality campaigners and environmentalists have big expectations for the pope’s US tour. Read the full report below: | My colleague Ed Pilkington reports that pro-immigrant groups, anti-inequality campaigners and environmentalists have big expectations for the pope’s US tour. Read the full report below: |
| Related: US progressives hope Pope Francis can bring moral force to key issues | Related: US progressives hope Pope Francis can bring moral force to key issues |
| 1.30pm BST13:30 | 1.30pm BST13:30 |
| #PopeInCuba:"We want to be a Church which goes forth to build bridges, to break down walls…” (Castro’s Cuba quakes) pic.twitter.com/nMFXKL3npK | #PopeInCuba:"We want to be a Church which goes forth to build bridges, to break down walls…” (Castro’s Cuba quakes) pic.twitter.com/nMFXKL3npK |
| 1.25pm BST13:25 | 1.25pm BST13:25 |
| Pope Francis calls suffering Cubans to remember tradition kept alive by women | Pope Francis calls suffering Cubans to remember tradition kept alive by women |
| Adam Brereton | Adam Brereton |
| Pope Francis continued his theme of expressly apolitical addresses in his homily in El Cobre, but he’s doing something quite subtle: calling Cuba back to the time before Communism. | Pope Francis continued his theme of expressly apolitical addresses in his homily in El Cobre, but he’s doing something quite subtle: calling Cuba back to the time before Communism. |
| Francis quoted from a letter, written to Benedict XV (Giacomo della Chiesa) by the Cuban people prior his 1916 decision to make the Virgin of Cobre the country’s patroness, which said “neither disgrace nor poverty were ever able to crush the faith”. | Francis quoted from a letter, written to Benedict XV (Giacomo della Chiesa) by the Cuban people prior his 1916 decision to make the Virgin of Cobre the country’s patroness, which said “neither disgrace nor poverty were ever able to crush the faith”. |
| That faith, Francis said, “was kept alive thanks to all those grandmothers who fostered, in the daily life of their homes, the living presence of God ... grandmothers, mothers, and so many others who with tenderness and love were signs of visitation, valor and faith for their grandchildren, in their families”. | That faith, Francis said, “was kept alive thanks to all those grandmothers who fostered, in the daily life of their homes, the living presence of God ... grandmothers, mothers, and so many others who with tenderness and love were signs of visitation, valor and faith for their grandchildren, in their families”. |
| Updated at 1.29pm BST | Updated at 1.29pm BST |
| 1.18pm BST13:18 | 1.18pm BST13:18 |
| Pope Francis: the Cuban people were formed by suffering and privation – full text | Pope Francis: the Cuban people were formed by suffering and privation – full text |
| Pope Francis’s homily at El Cobre: | Pope Francis’s homily at El Cobre: |
| The Gospel we have just heard tells us about something the Lord does every time he visits us: he calls us out of our house. These are images which we are asked to contemplate over and over again. God’s presence in our lives never leaves us tranquil: it always pushes to do something. When God comes, he always calls us out of our house. We are visited so that we can visit others; we are encountered so as to encounter others; we receive love in order to give love. | The Gospel we have just heard tells us about something the Lord does every time he visits us: he calls us out of our house. These are images which we are asked to contemplate over and over again. God’s presence in our lives never leaves us tranquil: it always pushes to do something. When God comes, he always calls us out of our house. We are visited so that we can visit others; we are encountered so as to encounter others; we receive love in order to give love. |
| In the Gospel we see Mary, the first disciple. A young woman of perhaps between 15 and 17 years of age who, in a small village of Palestine, was visited by the Lord, who told her that she was to be the mother of the Savior. Mary was far from “thinking it was all about her”, or thinking that everyone had to come and wait upon her; she left her house and went out to serve. | In the Gospel we see Mary, the first disciple. A young woman of perhaps between 15 and 17 years of age who, in a small village of Palestine, was visited by the Lord, who told her that she was to be the mother of the Savior. Mary was far from “thinking it was all about her”, or thinking that everyone had to come and wait upon her; she left her house and went out to serve. |
| First she goes to help her cousin Elizabeth. The joy which blossoms when we know that God is with us, with our people, gets our heart beating, gets our legs moving and “draws us out of ourselves”. It leads us to take the joy we have received and to share it in service, in those “pregnant” situations which our neighbors or families may be experiencing. The Gospel tells us that Mary went in haste, slowly but surely, with a steady pace, neither too fast nor so slow as never to get there. Neither anxious nor distracted, Mary goes with haste to accompany her cousin who conceived in her old age. | First she goes to help her cousin Elizabeth. The joy which blossoms when we know that God is with us, with our people, gets our heart beating, gets our legs moving and “draws us out of ourselves”. It leads us to take the joy we have received and to share it in service, in those “pregnant” situations which our neighbors or families may be experiencing. The Gospel tells us that Mary went in haste, slowly but surely, with a steady pace, neither too fast nor so slow as never to get there. Neither anxious nor distracted, Mary goes with haste to accompany her cousin who conceived in her old age. |
| Henceforth this was always to be her way. She has always been the woman who visits men and women, children, the elderly and the young. She has visited and accompanied many of our peoples in the drama of their birth; she has watched over the struggles of those who fought to defend the rights of their children. And now, she continues to bring us the Word of Life, her Son, our Lord. | Henceforth this was always to be her way. She has always been the woman who visits men and women, children, the elderly and the young. She has visited and accompanied many of our peoples in the drama of their birth; she has watched over the struggles of those who fought to defend the rights of their children. And now, she continues to bring us the Word of Life, her Son, our Lord. |
| These lands have also been visited by her maternal presence. The Cuban homeland was born and grew, warmed by devotion to Our Lady of Charity. As the bishops of this country have written: “In a special and unique way she has molded the Cuban soul, inspiring the highest ideals of love of God, the family and the nation in the heart of the Cuban people”. | These lands have also been visited by her maternal presence. The Cuban homeland was born and grew, warmed by devotion to Our Lady of Charity. As the bishops of this country have written: “In a special and unique way she has molded the Cuban soul, inspiring the highest ideals of love of God, the family and the nation in the heart of the Cuban people”. |
| This was what your fellow citizens also stated a hundred years ago, when they asked Pope Benedict XV to declare Our Lady of Charity the Patroness of Cuba. They wrote that “neither disgrace nor poverty were ever able to crush the faith and the love which our Catholic people profess for the Virgin of Charity, for whom, in all their trials, when death was imminent or desperation was at the door, there arose, like a light scattering the darkness of every peril, like a comforting dew ... the vision of that Blessed Virgin, utterly Cuban and loved as such by our cherished mothers, blessed as such by our wives.” | This was what your fellow citizens also stated a hundred years ago, when they asked Pope Benedict XV to declare Our Lady of Charity the Patroness of Cuba. They wrote that “neither disgrace nor poverty were ever able to crush the faith and the love which our Catholic people profess for the Virgin of Charity, for whom, in all their trials, when death was imminent or desperation was at the door, there arose, like a light scattering the darkness of every peril, like a comforting dew ... the vision of that Blessed Virgin, utterly Cuban and loved as such by our cherished mothers, blessed as such by our wives.” |
| In this shrine, which keeps alive the memory of God’s holy and faithful pilgrim people in Cuba, Mary is venerated as the Mother of Charity. From here she protects our roots, our identity, so that we may never stray to paths of despair. The soul of the Cuban people, as we have just heard, was forged amid suffering and privation which could not suppress the faith, that faith which was kept alive thanks to all those grandmothers who fostered, in the daily life of their homes, the living presence of God, the presence of the Father who liberates, strengthens, heals, grants courage and serves as a sure refuge and the sign of a new resurrection. Grandmothers, mothers, and so many others who with tenderness and love were signs of visitation, valor and faith for their grandchildren, in their families. They kept open a tiny space, small as a mustard seed, through which the Holy Spirit continued to accompany the heartbeat of this people. | In this shrine, which keeps alive the memory of God’s holy and faithful pilgrim people in Cuba, Mary is venerated as the Mother of Charity. From here she protects our roots, our identity, so that we may never stray to paths of despair. The soul of the Cuban people, as we have just heard, was forged amid suffering and privation which could not suppress the faith, that faith which was kept alive thanks to all those grandmothers who fostered, in the daily life of their homes, the living presence of God, the presence of the Father who liberates, strengthens, heals, grants courage and serves as a sure refuge and the sign of a new resurrection. Grandmothers, mothers, and so many others who with tenderness and love were signs of visitation, valor and faith for their grandchildren, in their families. They kept open a tiny space, small as a mustard seed, through which the Holy Spirit continued to accompany the heartbeat of this people. |
| “Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness” (Evangelii Gaudium, 288). | “Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness” (Evangelii Gaudium, 288). |
| Generation after generation, day after day, we are asked to renew our faith. We are asked to live the revolution of tenderness as Mary, our Mother of Charity, did. We are invited to “leave home” and to open our eyes and hearts to others. Our revolution comes about through tenderness, through the joy which always becomes closeness and compassion, and leads us to get involved in, and to serve, the life of others. Our faith makes us leave our homes and go forth to encounter others, to share their joys, their hopes and their frustrations. Our faith, “calls us out of our house”, to visit the sick, the prisoner and to those who mourn. It makes us able to laugh with those who laugh, and rejoice with our neighbors who rejoice. Like Mary, we want to be a Church which serves, which leaves home and goes forth, which goes forth from its chapels, its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be a sign of unity. | Generation after generation, day after day, we are asked to renew our faith. We are asked to live the revolution of tenderness as Mary, our Mother of Charity, did. We are invited to “leave home” and to open our eyes and hearts to others. Our revolution comes about through tenderness, through the joy which always becomes closeness and compassion, and leads us to get involved in, and to serve, the life of others. Our faith makes us leave our homes and go forth to encounter others, to share their joys, their hopes and their frustrations. Our faith, “calls us out of our house”, to visit the sick, the prisoner and to those who mourn. It makes us able to laugh with those who laugh, and rejoice with our neighbors who rejoice. Like Mary, we want to be a Church which serves, which leaves home and goes forth, which goes forth from its chapels, its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be a sign of unity. |
| Like Mary, Mother of Charity, we want to be a Church which goes forth to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation. Like Mary, we want to be a Church which can accompany all those “pregnant” situations of our people, committed to life, to culture, to society, not washing our hands but rather walking with our brothers and sisters. | Like Mary, Mother of Charity, we want to be a Church which goes forth to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation. Like Mary, we want to be a Church which can accompany all those “pregnant” situations of our people, committed to life, to culture, to society, not washing our hands but rather walking with our brothers and sisters. |
| This is our most valuable treasure (cobre), this is our greatest wealth and the best legacy we can give: to learn like Mary to leave home and set out on the path of visitation. And to learn to pray with | This is our most valuable treasure (cobre), this is our greatest wealth and the best legacy we can give: to learn like Mary to leave home and set out on the path of visitation. And to learn to pray with |
| Mary, for her prayer is one of remembrance and gratitude; it is the canticle of the People of God on their pilgrimage through history. It is the living reminder that God passes through our midst; the perennial memory that God has looked upon the lowliness of his people, he has come the aid of his servant, even as promised to our forebears and their children for ever. | Mary, for her prayer is one of remembrance and gratitude; it is the canticle of the People of God on their pilgrimage through history. It is the living reminder that God passes through our midst; the perennial memory that God has looked upon the lowliness of his people, he has come the aid of his servant, even as promised to our forebears and their children for ever. |
| 1.13pm BST13:13 | 1.13pm BST13:13 |
| Catholic spirituality is replete with instances of the Virgin Mary appearing and speaking to people – especially to children. Many readers will be familiar with Lourdes (France), Medjugorje (Croatia) and Fatima (Portugal). | Catholic spirituality is replete with instances of the Virgin Mary appearing and speaking to people – especially to children. Many readers will be familiar with Lourdes (France), Medjugorje (Croatia) and Fatima (Portugal). |
| Our Lady of Charity of Cobre is another popular story. In the early 1600s, some Indigenous and slave children found a statuette of the Virgin Mary floating in the ocean. Because the town’s church was dedicated to Saint James they put the statue in a hut. It did a disappearing act, so the story goes, and was found on the hill above the town. | Our Lady of Charity of Cobre is another popular story. In the early 1600s, some Indigenous and slave children found a statuette of the Virgin Mary floating in the ocean. Because the town’s church was dedicated to Saint James they put the statue in a hut. It did a disappearing act, so the story goes, and was found on the hill above the town. |
| After the town’s slaves were freed the statuette of the Virgin displaced the colonial symbols above the altar. She was declared the patroness of Cuba in 1916. | After the town’s slaves were freed the statuette of the Virgin displaced the colonial symbols above the altar. She was declared the patroness of Cuba in 1916. |
| 1.03pm BST13:03 | 1.03pm BST13:03 |
| Francis is increasingly known as a people’s pope and this mass is about as popular as it gets: the people are singing along with the psalms to much simpler tones than we’ve seen at other masses on this tour. It’s a local service, really. | Francis is increasingly known as a people’s pope and this mass is about as popular as it gets: the people are singing along with the psalms to much simpler tones than we’ve seen at other masses on this tour. It’s a local service, really. |
| There are people outside watching on a big screen too. | There are people outside watching on a big screen too. |
| 12.55pm BST12:55 | 12.55pm BST12:55 |
| And here he is ... The pope is arriving now in the Minor Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre (take a breath ... ) to say mass. | And here he is ... The pope is arriving now in the Minor Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre (take a breath ... ) to say mass. |
| Our Lady of Charity of Cobre is a popular Marian devotion, meaning a kind of special reverence paid to the Virgin Mary, who holds pride of place in the Catholic church as the mother of God. | Our Lady of Charity of Cobre is a popular Marian devotion, meaning a kind of special reverence paid to the Virgin Mary, who holds pride of place in the Catholic church as the mother of God. |
| Apluaden entrada del #PapaFrancisco en Basílica Menor del Santuario Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre. pic.twitter.com/TX1JYcJeDW | Apluaden entrada del #PapaFrancisco en Basílica Menor del Santuario Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre. pic.twitter.com/TX1JYcJeDW |
| Updated at 1.01pm BST | Updated at 1.01pm BST |
| 12.49pm BST12:49 | 12.49pm BST12:49 |
| Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cuba and the US. It’s the final day of Pope Francis’s Cuban tour today, and he will be flying to the US this afternoon local time. | Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cuba and the US. It’s the final day of Pope Francis’s Cuban tour today, and he will be flying to the US this afternoon local time. |
| Francis has got a short schedule today in Cuba: mass this morning in the village of El Cobre, then a meeting with families and blessing at the Cathedral in Santiago de Cuba. | Francis has got a short schedule today in Cuba: mass this morning in the village of El Cobre, then a meeting with families and blessing at the Cathedral in Santiago de Cuba. |
| After a farewell ceremony at 12.15pm local time (4.15pm GMT), the pope will get in the Paplane (I assume that’s what it’s called) and fly to the US, where he’ll be welcomed at 4pm (8pm GMT) in Washington DC. | After a farewell ceremony at 12.15pm local time (4.15pm GMT), the pope will get in the Paplane (I assume that’s what it’s called) and fly to the US, where he’ll be welcomed at 4pm (8pm GMT) in Washington DC. |
| You can watch a livestream of the pope’s activities today here: | You can watch a livestream of the pope’s activities today here: |
| And you can follow it all throughout the day on this live blog. | And you can follow it all throughout the day on this live blog. |