The raucous welcome Francis received from an estimated 1 million cheering Mexicans who lined his motorcade route seven-deep contrasted sharply with his pointed criticism of how church and state leaders here have often failed their people, especially the poorest and most marginalized.
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The pope urged his flock to turn Mexico into a “land of opportunity”, where “there will be no need to emigrate in order to dream” and where they will “not have to mourn men and women, young people and children who are destroyed at the hands of the merchants of death”.
The pope’s trip will end with a prison visit and Mass in the notorious northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, where he will meet relatives of victims of violence.
Rather, he said the horrors of drug violence required “prophetic courage” from the church and a pastoral plan that involves families, parishes, schools and communities. But that did not stop thousands of Mexicans from packing stadium-type stands at the airport to welcome the Pope with singing, dancing and a mariachi band.
On Saturday, Francis’ first public appearance was at the door of the residence, and before departing he spent several minutes greeting a crowd that demanded he give a blessing.
Pope Francis kicked off his first trip to Mexico on Saturday with speeches to the country’s political and…
In Francis” words, “Just as she made herself present to little Juan, so too she continues to reveal herself to all of us, especially to those who feel, like him “worthless'”. A survey past year found that about eight percent of Ukrainians are members of the church, mainly in the west. About 70 percent of the population is Orthodox but they are split into followers of Ukrainian and Russian patriarchates, who are likewise bitterly at odds over the conflict. “In a world which yearns not only for our words but also for tangible gestures, may this meeting be a sign of hope for all people of goodwill!” the declaration said.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, where her image is displayed behind, in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. “Don’t let yourselves be corrupted, don’t place your trust in the carriages and horses of today’s pharaohs”, Francis said, blending current events with biblical passages.
And… it’ll probably happen a few more times.
He warned that the “immensity and its scope which devours like a metastasis and the gravity of the violence which divides with its distorted expressions do not allow us as pastors of the Church to hide behind anodyne denunciations”. He pulled no punches, urging them to curb corruption that has been so detrimental to the people of Mexico.
On Monday, Pope Francis will travel to Mexico’s poorest and least Catholic region, the southern indigenous state of Chiapas. So it came as no surprise to anybody that during this visit, Pope Francis would use some that weight to speak out on Mexico’s problems.
I assure you, Mr President, that in this effort, the Government of Mexico can count on the cooperation of the Catholic Church, which has accompanied the life of this nation and which renews its commitment and willingness to serve the great causes of mankind: the building of the civilization of love. Numerous restrictions weren’t lifted until 1992.
“There is so much injustice in Mexico”, Ruben Sandoval said as he motioned to the National Palace. But in Mexico he may struggle to match the lasting appeal of Pope John Paul II, who made multiple visits to the country.
In 1970, official records showed that 96 percent of Mexicans claimed to be Catholic.
“You will find a generous and hospitable people”, the president told him, “a people who are Guadalupan”.
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Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Pope Francis have met in Cuba in an historic encounter that may help mend relationships between the two churches after Christianity split 1,000 years ago, foreign media reported on Saturday. “There are lots of ‘sects” within the Mexican bishops, groups that fight bitterly with each other while trying to offer themselves as the most reliable partners to the government”.
