U.S. President Barack Obama, Cuban President Raul Castro and the Vatican have called for a lifting of the embargo, which was first put in place in 1960 and repeatedly strengthened in the years since.

Not only will Pope Francis be the first pope to visit the U.S. Congress, but papal speeches to parliaments of any single nation are extremely rare.

The complete list of synod participants and papal appointees was released Sept. 15 by the Vatican.

"The people of California—especially the poor, the elderly, minorities and the disabled—deserve much better from their leaders," the archbishop said. "And make no mistake, it will be these most vulnerable populations who are going to suffer from this legislation."

A pope needs friends, needs mercy and needs to reach out to all people, Pope Francis said in two radio interviews released in mid-September.

Fundamentalism in any religion 'is a transversal darkness which robs us of an horizon.'