Pope Francis held a “very relaxed, fraternal and friendly” meeting with Fidel Castro in Cuba on Sunnday, a Vatican spokesman said.

Latin America’s first pope and the 89-year-old retired president, who turned Cuba into the least Catholic country in Latin America, were said to have discussed religion, the environment and the global economic system for about 40 minutes at Mr Castro’s home. Fewer than 10 per cent of the population are practicing Catholics.

Earlier, the Pope told thousands of people gathered in Havana’s iconic Revolution Plaza: “Whoever wishes to be great must serve others, not be served by others. Service is never ideological, for we do not serve ideas, we serve people.

“Being a Christian entails promoting the dignity of our brothers and sisters, fighting for it, living for it. That is why Christians are constantly called to set aside their own wishes and desires, their pursuit of power, and to look instead to those who are most vulnerable.”