ided ▁final ▁deal ." ▁The ▁po pe , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Canada , ▁was ▁a ▁behind - the - sc enes ▁bro ker ▁of ▁the ▁agreement , ▁taking ▁the ▁role ▁following ▁President ▁Ob ama ' s ▁request ▁during ▁his ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁po pe ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁negoti ations ▁was ▁cred ited ▁to ▁Francis ▁because ▁" as ▁a ▁religious ▁leader ▁with ▁the ▁confidence ▁of ▁both ▁sides , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁conv ince ▁the ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁Castro ▁administr ations ▁that ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁would ▁live ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁deal ". ▁En ▁route ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁a ▁visit ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁po pe ▁stopped ▁in ▁Cuba . ▁" The ▁plan ▁comes ▁amid ▁a ▁break through ▁for ▁which ▁Francis ▁has ▁received ▁much ▁credit ." ▁The ▁Cuba ▁visit ▁" se als ▁that ▁accomplish ment , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁bridge ▁between ▁two ▁erst while ▁enemies ". ▁According ▁to ▁one ▁expert ▁on ▁religion ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁Mario ▁P ared es , ▁the ▁po pe ' s ▁visit ▁to ▁Cuba ▁was ▁consistent ▁with ▁his ▁aim ▁to ▁promote ▁an ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁Cub an ▁Revolution ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁When ▁Francis ▁was ▁arch bishop ▁of ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁he ▁author ed ▁a ▁text ▁entitled ▁" Dialog ues ▁Between ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁and ▁F idel ▁Castro ". ▁John ▁Paul ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁po pe ▁to ▁visit ▁Cuba . ▁In ▁May ▁