Pope Francis arrived in Cuba on September 19 to an enthusiastic reception in the country that is in the midst of political change and spiritual curiosity. The photos below capture how Cubans are welcoming the pope and his message of peace.
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Women wave from an apartment building as Pope Francis approaches on his popemobile as he makes his way from the airport to Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. Pope Francis began his 10-day trip to Cuba and the United States, embarking on his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement. (Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate Via AP) -
The wind carries away Pope Francis’ cap as he deplanes in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. The pope begins a 10-day trip to Cuba and the United States on Saturday, embarking on his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
Pope Francis speaks as Cuba’s President Raul Castro sits by during his arrival ceremony at the airport in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. Pope Francis begins a 10-day trip to Cuba and the United States on Saturday, embarking on his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement. (Tony Gentile/POOL via AP) -
A member of Cuba’s church leadership kisses the hand of Pope Francis as Cuba’s President Raul Castro stands by during the pope’s arrival ceremony at the airport in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015. Pope Francis begins a 10-day trip to Cuba and the United States on Saturday, embarking on his first trip to the onetime Cold War foes after helping to nudge forward their historic rapprochement. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
Pope Francis arrives for Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
HAVANA, CUBA – SEPTEMBER 19: Cuban kid celebrates Pope Francis arrival in Havana, Cuba on September 19, 2015. (Photo by Carlos Becerra/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) -
A statue of Jesus stands in Revolution Square, where a statue of revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevera decorates a nearby government building in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, as Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (Tony Gentile/POOL via AP) -
Pope Francis arrives for Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
Two unidentified men are taken away by security officers after they threw leaflets as Pope Francis arrives for a Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday Sept. 20, 2015. Francis will not be meeting with dissidents during his visit, sparking critiques from the political opposition who say they feel let down by an institution they believe should help push for greater freedom in Cuba. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
Faithful wait the arrival of Pope Francis for Mass in Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. The signs in Spanish read: “The truth will set us free,” left, and “Long live Christ the king.” (AP Photo/Enric Marti) -
Pope Francis is helped to the altar as he arrives to celebrate Mass in Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, where a sculpture of revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevara decorates a nearby government building. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (Tony Gentile/POOL via AP) -
Pope Francis holds his pastoral staff as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, where a sculpture of revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevara and a Cuban flag decorate a nearby government building. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) -
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) -
Faithful wait for the start of a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s evocative Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) -
A woman holds a photo of Pope Francis during his visit in Havana on September 19, 2015, on the first leg of a high-profile trip that will also take him to the United States. AFP PHOTO / Luis Acosta (Photo credit should read LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images) -
Pope Francis arrives at Revolution Square in Havana on September 20, 2015. Pope Francis will give mass on Revolution Square, the biggest event of his trip to Cuba, with nearly a million people expected to attend. The pontiff’s eight-day tour will also take him to the United States. AFP PHOTO / RODRIGO ARANGUA (Photo credit should read RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images) -
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA – SEPTEMBER 19: People watch as Pope Francis is shown on television as he arrives in Havana, Cuba on September 19, 2015 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Pope Francis arrived in Havana, Cuba today for a three day visit where he meets President Raul Castro and holds Mass in Revolution Square before travelling to Holguin, Santiago de Cuba and onwards to the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) -
People wait for the start of the mass to be officiated by Pope Francis at Revolution Square in Havana, on September 20, 2015. Pope Francis greeted massive crowds of fans and Catholic faithful Sunday as he arrived in his popemobile to give mass on Havana’s iconic Revolution Square, the highlight of his trip to Cuba. The pontiff’s eight-day tour will also take him to the United States. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) -
Pope Francis gives mass at Revolution Square in Havana, on September 20, 2015. Pope Francis greeted massive crowds of fans and Catholic faithful Sunday as he arrived in his popemobile to give mass on Havana’s iconic Revolution Square, the highlight of his trip to Cuba. The pontiff’s eight-day tour will also take him to the United States. AFP PHOTO / RODRIGO ARANGUA (Photo credit should read RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty Images) -
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Revolution Plaza in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis opens his first full day in Cuba on Sunday with what normally would be the culminating highlight of a papal visit: Mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana’s Revolution Plaza. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) -
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA – SEPTEMBER 20: Parishioners attend a church service as Pope Francis conducts a mass in Havana before he is scheduled to arrive in the city on Monday evening on September 20, 2015 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Pope Francis is spending his first full day of a three day trip in Havana, Cuba before travelling to Holguin, Santiago de Cuba and then onwards to the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) -
Pope Francis arrives for a vespers service in the San Cristobal Cathedral, Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Francis presided over the evening prayer service in Havana’s 18th century cathedral, where he broke from prepared remarks and spoke off-the-cuff at length for the first time during his trip to Cuba. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) -
Pope Francis and Cuba’s Fidel Castro shakes hands, in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. The Vatican described the 40-minute meeting at Castro’s residence as informal and familial, with an exchange of books. (AP Photo/Alex Castro) -
In this photo taken on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015 Pope Francis talks to Cuba’s Fidel Castro, in Havana, Cuba. The Vatican described the 40-minute meeting at Castro’s residence as informal and familiar, with an exchange of books. (L’Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) -
In this photo taken on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, Pope Francis is greeted by faithful as he enters the San Cristobal Cathedral, Havana, Cuba. Francis presided over the evening prayer service in Havana’s 18th century cathedral, where he broke from prepared remarks and spoke off-the-cuff at length for the first time during his trip to Cuba. (L’Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) -
Pope Francis shakes hands with Cuba’s President Raul Castro in the Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 20, 2015. (L’Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP) -
Pope Francis kisses the altar as he arrives to celebrate Mass at the Plaza of the Revolution, in Holguin, Cuba, Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. Francis celebrated Mass in the main plaza of Holguin, becoming the first pope to visit Cuba’s third-largest city. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) -
A crowd watches as Pope Francis approaches in his popemobile on the way to the San Cristobal Cathedral, in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. Francis was finishing the day with a vespers service in Havana’s cathedral, and a meeting with a group of Cuban youth. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) -
Pope Francis greets a child on a wheelchair during a meeting with a group of Cuban youth in Havana, Cuba, Sunday Sept. 20, 2015. Pope Francis met with Fidel Castro on Sunday before finishing the day with a vespers service in Havana’s cathedral, and then meeting with the youths. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)