Meanwhile, more than 5,000 miles away, Cuba commemorated the 60th anniversary of the revolution.
During the first papal audience of the year, sport seemed to be the universal language.
Pope Francis twirled a soccer ball on his finger as a Cuban circus performed at the Pope VI hall in the Vatican.
During the show, performers in brightly colored outfits danced, juggled and performed acrobatics on stage.
“I want to say hello and thank the circus artists from the circus of Cuba,” Francis said in Italian, according to APTN. “With this show, they bring beauty. A beauty that requires so much effort to do it. We have seen it. So much training, so much going on. But beauty always raises the heart, beauty makes us all better.”
Meanwhile, more than 5,000 miles away, Cuba commemorated the 60th anniversary of its revolution.
A ceremony was held in the city of Santiago, at the cemetery where revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was buried.
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