Havana, September 15 (RHC)-- Cuban daily Granma highlights that the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Cuba, from September 19th through the 22nd, will further confirm the good relations between Cuba and the Holy See.

An editorial in the paper's Tuesday edition entitled: Bienvenido Papa Francisco, (Welcome, Pope Francis) assures that the Cuban government and people are ready to offer the Bishop of Rome a warm welcome, as well as the respect and hospitality which characterize them.

The editorial recalls the 80 years of uninterrupted relations between Cuba and the Vatican and mentions big highlights in bilateral ties, among them the visit of Cuban revolution Leader to Vatican City, the visits here to Cuba of popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and more recently, the meeting between President Raúl Castro and Pope Francis at the Vatican.

During his stay in Cuba, Jorge Mario Bergoglio -– the first ever Latin American Pope -- will officiate masses in Havana, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba, from where he will travel to the United States.