Raul Castro attends third Mass of Pope Francis in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 22 (acn) Cuban President Raul Castro is attending the third Mass officiated by Pope Francis in Cuba, after the ones held in Havana and Holguin, this time at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, in the Santiago de Cuba´s town of El Cobre,
His Holiness arrived on Monday´s afternoon to El Cobre, in the third leg of his papal visit to Cuba, that will wrap up today at noon.
Upon his arrival, Francis kissed and shared with children, elders and handicapped people at the entrance of the Shrine, as he has done in all previous places he visited.
Last night he prayed to the Cuban Patroness and offered her a silver flower vase.
Today´s liturgy will be dedicated to mark the centennial of the petition sent to the Holy See by a group of veterans of the Cuban Independence War against Spain to make the Virgin of the Charity of El Cobre Patroness of Cuba
After Mass, the Pope will travel to Santiago de Cuba city, which he will bless from the Cathedral before departing for the United States.