Pope Francis waves upon his arrival to Cathedral in Santiago, Cuba, 22 September 2015. Pope Francis's first visit to Cuba ended with a mass in Santiago. The pope delivered the last sermon of his Cuban trip at the pilgrimage site of the sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, located around 20 km (12 miles) from the city, and then go to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. EFE/Alejandro Bolivar
Islamabad, March 3 (IANS) Pope Francis has accepted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs invitation to visit Pakistan this year, a media reported said on Thursday.
According to a message received on Wednesday from the Vatican, the invitation was extended by Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael and Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yusuf, Dawn online reported.
Micheal led a high-level delegation for Rome to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican City on February 23.
The highest Catholic priest also offered special prayers for Pakistan and the Pakistanis who have fallen victim to terrorism.
The last pope to have visited Pakistan was Pope John Paul II in February 1981. Christians make up for 1.6 percent of Pakistan's population, which accounts for about 2.8 million people.
