Raul Castro: Pope Francis might make me return to Catholicism

Cuban President Raul Castro on Sunday greeted Pope Francis at the Vatican for a "strictly private" hour-long meeting, saying afterword he was so impressed with the pontiff he may undergo a late spiritual awakening.

During the brief session, Castro praised the pope's "wisdom, modesty, and all his other qualities," and thanked him for helping to broker the thawing of relations between Cuba and the U.S.

"If the pope continues to talk as he does, sooner or later I will start praying again and return to the Catholic Church, and I am not kidding," Castro said.

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Francis is slated to stop in Cuba later this year before making a visit to Washington.