Francis will visit Cuba en route to the United States

The Vatican confirmed on Wednesday that the Pope will visit Cuba in September before his trip to the United States. Holy See spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi told reporters that Francis has “received and accepted the invitation from the civil authorities and bishops of Cuba”. The Pope is due to arrive in Washington on 22 September.

Meanwhile on 16 April the Vatican also confirmed that Francis will visit the South American countries of Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay between 6 and 12 July, spending just under three days in each, writes Francis McDonagh. In all three countries, the visit has long been taken as certain, as was demonstrated by the presentation of official posters by all three bishops’ conferences the day after the Vatican announcement.

The Ecuadorian poster has the slogan “Evangelising with joy!”, while the Bolivians made a more direct reference to the Pope’s 2013 Apostolic Exhortation: “With Francis we announce the joy of the Gospel”. The Paraguayan poster has a slogan in the local Guaraní language: “Messenger of joy and peace”. The three visits will have a similar pattern, meetings with government leaders, with civil society, young people and disadvantaged groups.