On December 17, the world was caught off-guard by the announcement that the United States is opening negotiations with Cuba with the aim of restoring full diplomatic relations between the two long-estranged nations. Another surprise twist to the story: Pope Francis was the chief instigator and mediator of the unexpected détente. A pivotal moment in the top-secret negotiations, which unfolded over the past year and a half, came when U.S. president Barack Obama visited the Vatican in March 2014. Pope Francis reportedly pressed Obama to forge a new era in U.S.-Cuba relations, CNN reports. According to Obama, the Pope was particularly concerned about the plight of Alan Gross, an American contractor who was serving a 15-year jail sentence in Cuba for trying to bring Internet services to Cuba.