The renewed diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba included third-party support from as far as the Vatican, with Pope Francis facilitating talks and a prisoner swap between the countries.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro confirmed the normalization of diplomatic relations on Dec. 17, and both remarked on the Pope's role in resolving the two countries' differences. Obama and senior administration officials recognized the Buenos Aires, Argentina-born Pope's role, particularly in a prisoner exchange and release of USAID subcontractor Alan Gross, who was detained in Cuba for five years.

"Over many months, my administration has held discussions with the Cuban government about Alan's case, and other aspects of our relationship. His Holiness Pope Francis issued a personal appeal to me, and to Cuba's President Raul Castro, urging us to resolve Alan's case, and to address Cuba's interest in the release of three Cuban agents who have been jailed in the United States for over 15 years," said Obama during his address.

Obama thanked Francis for providing the "moral example" that showed the "the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is."

"The Holy Father wishes to express his warm congratulations for the historic decision taken by the Governments of the United States of America and Cuba to establish diplomatic relations, with the aim of overcoming, in the interest of the citizens of both countries, the difficulties which have marked their recent history," said a statement from the Vatican.

A communiqué on behalf of the Pope confirmed he wrote letters to Obama and Castro and invited both presidents "to resolve humanitarian questions of common interest, including the situation of certain prisoners, in order to initiate a new phase in relations between the two Parties." The Holy See was also host of delegations from both countries in October 2013 to facilitate discussions on "delicate matters," which resulted in "solutions acceptable to both Parties."

The Pope's role in facilitating "the situation of certain prisoners" was further confirmed by senior Obama administration officials during a press call. A senior Obama administration official said the support of the Pope was important for the U.S. due to "the esteem" American and the Cuban populations have with the Catholic Church, and his "substantial history" in Latin America -- as the first Pope to be elected from the region.

"When President Obama met with Pope Francis, for instance, earlier this year, Cuba was a topic of discussion that got as much attention as anything else that the two of them discussed," said a senior administration official. "So I would say that particularly the exchange and transfer of prisoners was finalized in that meeting at the Vatican, but we also were able to review the steps that we'd each be taking with the Vatican, including the normalization of relations between the countries and the establishment of diplomatic relations. And the Vatican welcomed that news."

The administration official said the Pope's letter to Obama came after their meeting and recognized that the personal appeal is "very rare" for a pope to initiate.

"We haven't received communications like this from the Pope that I'm aware of other than this instance. And so he sent that letter directly to President Obama, and separately he communicated through a letter directly to President Castro early this summer following the meeting. And that gave I think greater impetus and momentum for us to move forward," said the official.

While Canada also assisted in hosting talks between U.S. and Cuban officials, the Canadian government was not involved in direct discussions. The Vatican, however, not only hosted talks but also participated in discussions.

"We now have people in the highest offices of the Catholic Church who understand the situation in Cuba, the situation in Latin America, and who also understand the need for a different roadmap to lasting peace," said Cuban-American theologian Miguel Diaz, the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican from 2009 to 2012, via CNN.

__

For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

Related