Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a "gesture of great hope" that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington and Havana that dates back to the Cuban missile crisis.

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba on Thursday released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from prison, as part of a government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners following talks with the Vatican.

By Christopher Wells Cuba has announced that it will release from prison 553 people “convicted of various crimes.” The decision was communicated to Pope Francis earlier this month in a letter from Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, who indicated that the release of prisoners was made “in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025.”

Taking up the spirit of the recently inaugurated Holy Year 2025, the Cuban government has announced the release of 553 people currently serving prison sentences.

Cuba on Wednesday began releasing prisoners jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, making good on a deal with the Catholic Church that prompted the Biden administration to say it would loosen sanctions on the communist-run nation.

Cuba started releasing some prisoners Wednesday as part of talks with the Vatican, a day after President Joe Biden's administration announced his intent to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism.