The Pope said that he was delighted by Cuba’s news this week that 553 persons “convicted of various crimes” will be released from prison. Miguel Díaz-Canel, the president of Cuba, informed Pope Francis of the decision earlier this month, stating that the inmates’ release was done “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025.”
“This,” Pope Francis said, “is a gesture of great hope that embodies one of the intentions of this Jubilee Year.”
“I hope,” the Pope said, “that in the coming months, we will continue to undertake initiatives of this type, which instil confidence in the journey of people and populations.”
“Governments undertake initiatives aimed at restoring hope; forms of amnesty or pardon meant to help individuals regain confidence in themselves and in society; and programs of reintegration in the community, including a concrete commitment to respect for law,” according to Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year.