Pope Francis next month will celebrate Mass next to the iconic Che Guevara portrait in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, a setting previously chosen for similar visits by his predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

The leader of the world's more than 1 billion Catholics is set to make a detour to Cuba ahead of his visit to the United States, and workers in the Communist country's capital have begun building the altar where the Argentine-born pontiff will deliver his homily, Agence France-Presse reported.

The 118-foot portrait of the famous revolutionary, meanwhile, is part of the imposing façade of Cuba's interior ministry. It is based on an iconic 1960 photograph of Guevara by Alberto Korda that has also been reproduced on T-shirts and posters worldwide.

Francis is said to have played an important role in the secret negotiations between Washington and Havana that led to a rapprochement and the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the nations earlier this year. The pontiff and President Barack Obama had extensively discussed the issue when the latter visited the Vatican last year, and Francis' visit to Cuba will "add a dimension of international intrigue to his already highly anticipated trip" to the United States, CNN judged.

Following his Sept. 19 - 22 stay on the island, the pope will be hosted at the White House by Obama on Sept. 23, according to USA Today. The president and Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, will discuss a broad range of issues, including poverty, the environment, religious freedom and immigration, White House press secretary Josh Earnest has noted.

The day after his meeting with Obama, Francis is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress, becoming the first pontiff to address both the House and Senate, the Religion News Service detailed.

Beyond Washington, Francis plans to travel to Philadelphia and New York during his first U.S. visit. He will attend the World Meeting of Families -- a major gathering of Catholic leaders -- held in the Pennsylvania city before addressing the United Nations on Sept. 25.