During his apostolic trip to Mexico in 2016, Pope Francis addressed key issues that still resonate in the country after his death this Monday, such as migration, the exclusion of indigenous peoples, the challenges of the world of work, corruption and violence.
From February 12 to 17, Francisco visited Mexico City -where he was received by the then president, Enrique Peña Nieto-; as well as Ecatepec, in the State of Mexico; Chiapas, Michoacán, and Ciudad Juárez, in Chihuahua.
During his visit to Ciudad Juárez, the Pontiff raised his voice for migrants who cross the border with the United States: “We cannot deny the humanitarian crisis that in recent years has meant the migration of thousands of people (…) No more death, or exploitation!”
Also in Juárez, during his visit to the Center for Social Readaptation (Cereso), Francisco questioned the security models based on confinement.
“We have already lost several decades believing that everything is resolved isolating, separating, imprisoning. We have forgotten to concentrate on what our true concern should really be: people’s lives,” said the Pope in Chihuahua.
That same day, the Pontiff also met workers and businessmen, with whom he took the opportunity to denounce the culture of discard and the economic models that prioritize profit over people:
“God will ask the slaves of our day (…) the flow of capital cannot determine the flow and life of people,” Francisco said.
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Chiapas, sorry for abuse
During his visit to Chiapas, one of the poorest entities in the country, the Pope celebrated a mass with indigenous communities and recognized the abuses committed against them.
“Some have considered their values, their cultures and traditions lower.
In addition, Francisco claimed his culture, his languages and his respect for nature and admitted that Mexican original cultures “have much to teach us.”
During his visit to Morelia, in Michoacán, the heir of the throne of Pedro encouraged young people not to be fooled by false paths of drug trafficking and violence.
“Jesus, who gives us hope, would never invite us to be hitmen. But he calls us disciples,” said the pontiff.
When meeting with priests and seminarians in that city, the Pope warned about the “temptation of resignation” against corruption and crime, and asked not to lock himself in the sacristies.
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In Ecatepec, Francisco denounced the three great temptations facing society: the wealth that is imposed on others; the vanity that seeks prestige at the expense of the other and the pride that despises others; and pride “to put a plane of superiority.”
The most emotional message of the leader of the Universal Catholic Church left him in the Basilica of Guadalupe, where he prayed in silence before the image of the Morena Virgin accompanied by almost 50,000 Catholics gathered in the main temple in Latin America.
Francisco concluded his visit asking Mexicans not to lose hope and continue to dream of a fair, reconciled and supportive country.
With EFE information
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