Pope Francis -- the Catholic Church's first Latin American pontiff -- celebrated his birthday Wednesday with a major geopolitical wish granted: The end of a half-century of frozen relations between the United States and Cuba. Francis, who was elected last year and turned 78 on Wednesday, acted as the chief advocate for renewing diplomatic ties between Washington and Havana, officials said. The Pope made a personal plea to President Barack Obama and Cuban leaders in a letter this summer, writing that the two nations should try to reset their relations after decades of friction. "I want to thank His Holiness, Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is," Obama said Wednesday as he announced the U.S. policy shift on Cuba.
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The White House says Pope Francis wrote letters to both countries and hosted meetings at the Vatican
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New Vatican diplomats understand Latin America, former ambassador says
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The Pope congratulates Washington and Havana on improved relations and release of prisoner
When Obama met the @placeholder at the Vatican in March, the discussion turned toward moving U.S.-Cuba relations into a new era.