Pope Francis just returned from his six day trip to Mexico. He had made the trip in order to reach out to Mexican citizens in marginalized areas and in hopes of bringing about an end to trafficking, drug-related violence and poverty in those areas. Pope Francis was very outspoken that there are grave injustices in Mexico, and action must be taken to change the current situation. Here is a quick itinerary of his visit, which took place from February 12-17:
Friday, February 12: Pope Francis arrived in Mexico and was greeted by an official reception.
Saturday, February 13: He met President Enrique Pena Nieto at the National Palace in Mexico City. The Pope also made an address to Mexican bishops. Mass was given in the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Sunday, February 14: The Pope visited Ecatepec, an impoverished city about 20 miles away from Mexico City. He gave Mass there, spoke at a Meeting with the World Culture in the National Auditorium, and visited the Pediatric Hospital “Federico Gomez”.
Monday, February 15: The Pope traveled to Tuxtla Gutierrez, where he gave Mass, had lunch with indigenous representatives, and met with families at the “Victor Manuel Reyna” Auditorium.
Tuesday, February 16: Pope Francis gave Mass at Morelia and gave a discourse in a meeting with Young People.
Wednesday, February 17: His last destination on his six-day journey was Ciudad Juarez, where he gave Mass and visited with prisoners. He gave a discourse at the Meeting with the World of Work and prayed at the border of Mexico for the migrant dead, condemning the “grave injustices” done to those who are forced by poverty and violence to journey north.
Many Mexican citizens were overjoyed that the Pope himself visited them, giving both Mass and words of hope to people living in impoverished areas that are victim to violence and drug wars. His visit demonstrated to many that they are not alone, and that there are others who care about what is happening in Mexico. He was also welcomed as a Latin American Pope, someone who would better understand the situation taking place in Mexico and who has fought similar injustices in Argentina as a bishop.
Others were more dubious about the true purpose of the Pope’s visit, asserting that the government of Mexico was using the Pope’s presence in the country as a distraction from the larger problems of drug wars, trafficking and corruption in politics. And in another sense, it is very easy to provide words of hope and against grave injustices, but words alone do not fight injustices. They are, however, an important first step at establishing dialogue and catalyzing change.
“The Mexico of drug trafficking, the Mexico of the cartels, is not the Mexico that our mother loves,” Francis said last week, alluding to the Virgin Mary. “I would urge you to fight, day by day, against corruption, against trafficking, against war, against disunity, against organized crime, against human trafficking.”