Pope Francis has hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a "gesture of great hope" that he prays will be undertaken elsewhere.

The Cuban government announced that it would release hundreds of political prisoners, citing inspiration from Pope Francis' emphasis on mercy for prisoners during the Jubilee Year.

Pope Francis expressed the hope that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, “would be respected immediately by all the parties [involved]” and would lead to “the release of all the hostages” and the rapid provision of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza.

The deal, which comes less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, also includes rolling back a 2017 memorandum issued during his first term.

To the extent that the dictatorship must be condemned…we must look for mechanisms that can help alleviate hunger.”

Cuba began releasing some of its prisoners Thursday in the hours after President Joe Biden lifted its status as a state sponsor of terrorism. President-elect Donald Trump gave Cuba the status in his National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 during his first term,

The Trump administration added Cuba to the state sponsor of terror list days before the Republican left office in 2021 and it has remained there throughout the Biden administration. Just three other countries, Syria, Iran and North Korea, are currently on the State Department list.

President Joe Biden is planning to lift Cuba's designation as a "state sponsor of terrorism" in the final days of his administration.

The move is likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration, as it was Trump who first put Cuba on the terrorism blacklist in his first term

President Joe Biden has notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.

There is zero doubt in my mind that they meet all the qualifications for being a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said.

Cuba’s statement refers to Pope Francis’ call to release prisoners during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, which began on Dec. 24, 2024, at the Vatican.