- O ve j ero , ▁deput y ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁Press ▁Office , ▁stated ▁that ▁" the ▁honor ific ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Gregory ▁the ▁Great ▁Pont ific al ▁Order ▁that ▁Lil iane ▁Pl ou men , ▁then ▁Minister ▁for ▁Development ▁received ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁during ▁the ▁visit ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁royal ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁Father , ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁diplom atic ▁pra xis ▁of ▁the ▁exchange ▁of ▁decor ations ▁among ▁deleg ations ▁during ▁official ▁vis its ▁between ▁heads ▁of ▁state ▁and ▁government ▁to ▁the ▁V at ican .. ▁[ it ] ▁cannot ▁be ▁by ▁any ▁way ▁considered ▁an ▁end ors ement ▁to ▁the ▁pro - ab ort ion ▁and ▁birth ▁control ▁politics ▁advoc ated ▁by ▁Mrs . ▁Pl ou men ." ▁ ▁International ▁diplom atic ▁role ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁tal ks ▁toward ▁rest oring ▁full ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Cuba . ▁The ▁rest oration ▁was ▁joint ly ▁announced ▁by ▁U . S . ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁Cub an ▁President ▁Ra úl ▁Castro ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁The ▁head line ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁December ▁was ▁" B ridge ▁to ▁Cuba ▁via ▁V at ican ," ▁with ▁the ▁further ▁lead ▁" In ▁a ▁rare ▁and ▁cru cial ▁role , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁helped ▁keep ▁U . S . ▁tal ks ▁with ▁Hav ana ▁on ▁track ▁and ▁gu