Pope Francis praises Cuba Church at Holguin Mass

The Pope spoke about the life of Saint Matthew and made an appeal for tolerance and understanding

Pope Francis has celebrated Mass in front of thousands of people in the eastern Cuban city of Holguin.

During his homily, he paid tribute to the "efforts" and "sacrifices" the Roman Catholic Church has made in Cuba.

Holguin is considered the cradle of Catholicism on the communist island.

It is also in the area where Cuban President Raul Castro and his brother Fidel were brought up. They were raised as Catholics but became atheists and led the Socialist Revolution in 1959.

"I am aware of the efforts and I am aware of the sacrifices the Church in Cuba has carried out to take to all, even in the most remote locations, the word and the presence of Christ," said Pope Francis.

He also renewed his calls for people to embrace change and challenge selfish and materialist principles in society.

Jesus Christ "invites us slowly to overcome our preconceptions and our reluctance to think that others, much less ourselves, can change," the Pope said.

'Informal and friendly'

After mass in Holguin, Pope Francis travelled further east to Cuba's second largest city, Santiago.

It was there that Fidel Castro announced on 1 January 1959 that his forces had toppled the United States-backed government of Fulgencio Batista.

Pope Francis was welcomed at the Calixto Garcia square in Holguin by President Raul Castro

People began to arrive early for the Pope's second mass since he came to Cuba

Fidel remained in power until 2006, when he passed on power to his brother Raul for health reasons.

After celebrating mass before hundreds of thousands of people in Havana on Sunday, Pope Francis he went to a meeting with Fidel Castro at his home in Havana.

The two men discussed world affairs and religion, in what the Vatican called an "informal and friendly" 40-minute encounter.

The Pope gave him several books, including one on the writings of a Jesuit priest who taught Mr Castro in school more than 70 years ago and had to flee the island after the Cuban Revolution.

Mr Castro reciprocated with a book of his own interviews with a left-wing Brazilian priest. The book is called Fidel and Religion.

This is the first visit by the Argentinian-born Pope to Cuba since he became pontiff in 2013.

Both his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, visited the island during their papacy.

Pope Francis and Fidel Castro exchange presents during their meeting on Sunday

The Pope's tour will take him to the United States on Tuesday.

He has been credited with helping the recent thaw in diplomatic ties between Cuba and the US.

He has hailed improving ties between the two countries as "an example of reconciliation for the whole world".

But he also urged both Cuba and the US to "persevere on the path" of detente.