VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis will meet with homeless people, immigrants and prisoners during his upcoming trip to Cuba and the United States. He’ll also preside over a meeting about religious liberty – a major topic for the U.S. Catholic Church in the wake of the Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision.

The Vatican published the itinerary Tuesday for the eagerly awaited Sept. 19-28 visit.

Francis added the Cuba leg onto the U.S. trip at the last minute after helping contribute to the historic thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations.

In the U.S., he will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House and become the first pope to address Congress. He will host an interfaith gathering at Ground Zero in New York and deliver a speech on sustainable development at the United Nations.

The pope’s recent letter on climate change stirred mixed reactions in Maine and worldwide.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.