It is difficult to narrate in a few lines the pastoral visit of Pope Francis to Mexico, which took place between February 12 and 17. The large number of anecdotes and experiences before, during and after the trip would require more space to summarize them. The messages of the "pilgrim of Mercy", as many call the Pope, have deeply touched those present. But what had the greatest impact, even on Francis, was listening to the testimonies of some of the faithful about the reality of life in Mexico. It is a reality that the Pope knows very well: "I don't want to cover any of that up."He said before leaving on his trip, referring to the ills suffered by the country.
This was Pope Francis' first visit to Mexico. During six days, the Pontiff held various public meetings throughout the country and met with different sectors of Mexican society.
Mexico City
Pope Francis arrived at the presidential hangar of Mexico City's international airport on Friday, February 12, 2016 at 7:30 pm. He had previously made a stopover in Cuba, where he held a historic meeting with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill. In Mexico City, on the tarmac, he was met by President Enrique Peña Nieto and his wife Angélica Rivera de Peña, as well as the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Cristoph Pierre, and the host Archbishop, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera.
Some five thousand people welcomed the first Latin American Pope. The overflowing joy of the young people, waving yellow handkerchiefs and enthusiastically chanting songs and slogans, was contagious: "Francisco, my friend, you are welcome! Francisco, you are already Mexican!...".
Four children in regional costumes approached Pope Francis to present him with a chest containing soil from Mexico. The Pope thanked them for the gesture and blessed it. Afterwards, the Amalia Hernandez ballet and the mariachi of the Secretariat of the Navy offered a great show with the traditional "Son de la negra" y "Jarabe tapatío".. Afterwards, the procession left in the direction of the apostolic nunciature. Thousands of people were waiting for him on the way, carrying lights that illuminated the way. Upon arriving at the nunciature, a large group of people shouted for the Pope to come out and greet them. The Pope responded by going out into the street to address a message and pray with them.
On Saturday, February 13, President Peña Nieto received Francis with a welcoming ceremony at the National Palace. In a part of his speech, the Holy Father affirmed that "Experience shows us that whenever we seek the path of privilege or benefits for a few to the detriment of the good of all, sooner or later life in society becomes fertile ground for corruption, drug trafficking, exclusion of different cultures, violence, and even human trafficking"..
Then, after leaving the presidential compound, he received the keys to Mexico City from the head of government, Miguel Ángel Mancera, at the doors of the metropolitan cathedral. He then met with the bishops of the country. Before 165 titular bishops and 15 auxiliary bishops, he made a speech in the context of the insecurity and violence that plagues Mexicans. He also called on Mexican prelates not to be corrupted by wealth.
Francis did not want to leave Mexico City without visiting the Basilica of Guadalupe; in fact, he affirmed that this was the main moment of his trip. There he celebrated a Mass attended by fifty thousand people. Some attendees had to follow the liturgy from outside the church. In his homily, the Pope made reference to the victims of kidnappings and the abandonment of young and old people. "God approached and draws near to the suffering but resilient hearts of so many mothers, fathers, grandparents who have seen their children depart, lost or even criminally taken away from them."he said.
State of Mexico
During the mass celebrated on Sunday, February 14, in a 45 hectare property known as El Caracol, in the municipality of Ecatepec (State of Mexico), Pope Francis called on Mexicans to resist the temptations of wealth and corruption. Ecatepec is a locality affected by violence and crime.
The pontiff said that he knows that it is not easy to avoid the seduction of the "money, fame and power". that the devil puts in front of them. However, he warned them that they can only face him with the strength that God gives. "Let's get it into our heads: you can't dialogue with the devil. There can be no dialogue, because he will always win".said the Pope. "Only the strength of God's word can defeat it."he said. He also spoke of the three temptations that seek to degrade, destroy and take away the joy and freshness of the Gospel; temptations that lock us in a circle of destruction and sin: wealth, vanity and pride.
Chiapas
On Monday 15, on his fourth day in the country, Francis arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas (Chiapas). After the official reception at the airport (in which the Zoque community gave him the baton, a necklace and a crown), the Pope moved to the town. In this city, the bishop of Rome officiated a Mass in the Municipal Sports Center in which indigenous communities participated. During his homily he affirmed that "Many times, systematically and structurally, their peoples have been misunderstood and excluded from society. Some have considered their values, cultures and traditions inferior. Others, dizzy with power and money, have dispossessed them of their lands or have carried out actions that have polluted them. How sad! How good it would do us all to make an examination of conscience and learn to say: excuse me, excuse me, brothers and sisters! Today's world, dispossessed by the throwaway culture, needs you"..
Later, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas, Pope Francis presided over a large meeting with families and asked Mexicans to give him their blessing. "echen ganas". to the family to keep it together, because it is the most important nucleus of society.
On Tuesday the 16th he presided a Mass with priests, religious and seminarians in Morelia (Michoacán), and on Wednesday the 17th he went to Ciudad Juárez.
Ciudad Juarez
In Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua), Pope Francis wanted to experience firsthand the drama of migration and violence. Juarez is a city in northern Mexico - adjacent to El Paso (Texas) - and sadly famous for the femicides that, between 1993 and 2012, cost the lives of 700 women. In addition to this scourge, Juarez has been plagued by a spiral of violence caused by drug trafficking and disputes between the various drug cartels. A third scourge plaguing Juarez is the death of hundreds of people attempting to reach the United States without documents.
Here, in addition to visiting a prison and meeting with the world of work, the Pope celebrated Mass with migrants and victims of violence. The altar was built just eighty meters from the border fence. More than 200,000 people attended the ceremony. Among them were various groups and relatives of victims of violence, not only from Juarez but from all over Mexico.
Bishops and priests from Mexico and the United States also participated in the Mass. It was a "cross-border" ceremony since, in addition to the binational presence of clergy, 50,000 Catholics gathered on the other side of the border to follow the ceremony in the stadium of the University of El Paso, a few meters from the altar. Thus, in Juarez and El Paso a single family was formed, united by faith, separated -like thousands of families- by a metal fence.
Before the Mass, Pope Francis went to pray in front of a giant cross erected thirty meters from the metal netting. There, the Pontiff left a bouquet of flowers and prayed for the migrants who have died in their attempt to reach the United States.
Already in his homily the Pope referred to undocumented migration as a humanitarian crisis, a human tragedy. Migrants "They are brothers and sisters who are driven out by poverty and violence, by drug trafficking and organized crime. Faced with so many legal loopholes, a net is cast that always traps and destroys the poorest. Not only do they suffer from poverty, but they also have to suffer all these forms of violence.. At this the pontiff exclaimed: "No more death and exploitation! There is always time to change, there is always a way out and there is always a chance, there is always time to implore the Father's mercy.".
At the end of the Mass, the Pope went to the Ciudad Juarez airport to conclude his visit with the official farewell ceremony. The ceremony was attended by civil and religious authorities and more than 5,000 people who bid farewell to Pope Francis to the sound of mariachi music.
Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez
