Castro thanks pope in Vatican visit

Cuban President Raul Castro met with Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday, thanking the pontiff for his role in brokering the recent rapprochement between Havana and Washington, a papal spokesman said. The first South American pope played a key role in secret negotiations between the United States and Cuba, which led to the surprise announcement in December that the two countries would seek to restore diplomatic ties after more than 50 years of tensions.