III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 26 

Commending Pope Francis for his leadership in helping to secure the release 

of Alan Gross and for working with the Governments of the United 

States and Cuba to achieve a more positive relationship. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 13, 2015 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. ENZI, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. BROWN, Mr. UDALL, and Mr. KAINE) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commending Pope Francis for his leadership in helping to 

secure the release of Alan Gross and for working with 

the Governments of the United States and Cuba to 

achieve a more positive relationship. 

Whereas Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, 

Argentina, was elected Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic 

Church on March 13, 2013; 

Whereas his election marked the first time a Pope from the 

Americas and a Jesuit has been selected, as well as the 

first time a pope took the papal name of Francis, after 

St. Francis of Assisi; 


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•SRES 26 IS 

Whereas Pope Francis has been recognized for his humility, 

dedication to the poor, and commitment to dialogue and 

reconciliation; 

Whereas United States citizen and former United States 

Agency for International Development subcontractor Alan 

Phillip Gross traveled to Cuba five times in 2009, working to establish wireless networks and improve Internet 

and Intranet access and connectivity for the Cuban people; 

Whereas Mr. Gross was arrested in Havana, Cuba, on December 3, 2009, charged with ‘‘actions against the independence or the territorial integrity of the state’’ in February 2011, and sentenced to 15 years in prison; 

Whereas, on November 21, 2013, 66 United States Senators 

wrote to President Barack Obama urging him ‘‘to act expeditiously to take whatever steps are in the national interest to obtain [Alan Gross’s] release,’’ and pledging ‘‘to 

support [the] Administration in pursuit of this worthy 

goal’’; 

Whereas during Mr. Gross’s five years in prison, his health 

seriously deteriorated and his mother Evelyn Gross 

passed away; 

Whereas Mr. Gross’s family remained tirelessly committed to 

ensuring his well-being and return to the United States; 

Whereas, over the course of several years, the United States 

Government used a variety of channels to encourage the 

Government of Cuba to release Mr. Gross; 

Whereas, in March 2012, during his visit to Cuba, then-Pope 

Benedict raised Mr. Gross’s detention with President 

Raul Castro; 


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•SRES 26 IS 

Whereas, in 2013, the Governments of the United States and 

Cuba began 18 months of closed door talks on Mr. 

Gross’s detention and on improving the relations between 

the two countries; 

Whereas, in October 2014, Pope Francis played a key role 

in the negotiations between the United States and Cuba, 

making personal appeals to both President Obama and 

President Raul Castro, pushing for reconciliation between 

the two countries, and hosting a diplomatic meeting at 

the Vatican between the United States and Cuba; 

Whereas, on December 17, 2014, the Government of Cuba 

released Alan Gross on humanitarian grounds and allowed him to return to the United States; 

Whereas, on December 17, 2014, President Obama also announced the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with Cuba; 

Whereas, in this announcement, President Obama thanked 

Pope Francis for his involvement and the example he 

provides to the international community; and 

Whereas, on December 18, 2014, Pope Francis said, ‘‘The 

work of an ambassador lies in small steps, small things, 

but they always end up making peace, bringing closer the 

hearts of people, sowing brotherhood among people.’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) extends its gratitude to Pope Francis for 

3 his extraordinary efforts in helping to secure the re4 lease of Alan Gross; 


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•SRES 26 IS 

1 (2) commends His Holiness for his role in en2 couraging an improved relationship between the 

3 United States and Cuba; and 

4 (3) warmly welcomes the return to the United 

5 States of Alan Gross. 

Æ 


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