Pope Francis (L) is welcomed by Cuban President Raul Castro at the International Airport Jose Marti in Havana, on February 12, 2016. Pope Francis landed in Cuba Friday to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the first such encounter since the two branches of Christianity split a millennium ago. The 79-year-old pontiff, in his white robes, stepped off an Alitalia plane and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro on the tarmac at Jose Marti airport, where he was then due to sit down with the Russian Patriarch Kirill. AFP PHOTO / YAMIL LAGE