Pope confirms visit to Mexico in March

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed he will travel to Mexico and Cuba in the spring and called on the people of Latin America to hold firm to their faith.
During his homily at the Mass Dec. 12 in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pope prayed that God would guide the decisions of the Latin American people, so they could progress in “building a society based on the development of good, the triumph of love and the expansion of justice.”
Pope Benedict added that he intends “to make an apostolic trip to Mexico and Cuba before Easter to proclaim the word of Christ and to strengthen the conviction that this is a precious time to evangelize with a steady faith, a lively hope and an ardent charity.”
Various Spanish language news outlets have reported the trip will take place March 23-29.
In addition to marking the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, the Pope’s Mass marked the bicentennials of many Latin American countries, which gained their independence from Spain between 1810 and 1825.
The Pope said he could not let the anniversaries pass without demonstrating “the joy of the Church for the many gifts which God, in his infinite goodness, has bestowed on these beloved nations throughout these years.”
The Pope entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe his intentions and the destiny of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean as they seek a better future.