Pope Francis turns down invitation to visit Mexico

Pope Francis

has just turned down an invitation to visit Mexico in 2021 , in the framework of the religious Jubilee to commemorate 500 years since the beginning of evangelization in the Americas, according to the Episcopal Conference of Mexico (CEM) .

Through a press release, the CEM informed that during a visit by some members of the conference’s presidential council, an invitation was made to the pope. However, Francis declined.

“The Successor of Peter claimed that, although he would very much like to visit us again, he had already visited us in 2016, and there are some countries that he has not visited yet,”

stated a spokesman of the CEM.

On March 1 , members of the Mexican Episcopate held talks in the Vatican with pope Francis on the importance, effort, and will of the Mexican church to address the issue of clerical sexual abuse with utmost responsibility, in cooperation with religious institutions and schools throughout the country.

The religious conference informed that the pope had shown great interest in the country’s situation.

Furthermore, church members mentioned the ecclesial work in progress to help Central Americans on their way to the United States and the support that the Mexican church provided in the fight against human trafficking.

Additionally, they showed the work that the church is undertaking for peace-building and their permanent readiness to collaborate with Mexico’s new administration and social actors in the peace processes.

For his part, the pope asked to maintain pastoral work with young students and seek a communion with them by using their talents, language, energy, and strength to improve the world.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador

said on Monday he had written to Spain’s King Felipe and Pope Francis “so that they ask forgiveness of indigenous peoples for violations” including massacres.

Alessandro Gisotti, the internal spokesman of the Holy See

, said in an interview with EFE that the Catholic church had already apologized for human rights abuses committed during the conquest. In July 2015 , during a trip to Bolivia, Pope Francis offered his humblest apologies for abuses and crimes committed by the church against indigenous people during the conquest of the American continent.

Pope calls meeting of key bishops on sexual abuse

dm