Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s recent visit to Mexico “rekindles” the hope the pope will visit the country, the country’s bishops said.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated the invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the country during a meeting she held with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who assured her that the pontiff “is very eager to come.”

Parolin visited Mexico from Aug. 4–6, a trip that, according to a statement from the country’s bishops, “rekindles” the hope of “counting on the presence and direct blessing of His Holiness Leo XIV in our Mexican homeland.”

As part of his activities, the Vatican secretary of state met with the president on Aug. 5 at the National Palace, the seat of the Mexican government. After the meeting, Sheinbaum reported on social media that among the topics discussed was Magnifica Humanitas, the pope’s first encyclical.

“The pope’s calls for peace, fraternity, and closeness to the most vulnerable represent a humanitarian vision that is indispensable at a time when the world needs to strengthen dialogue, solidarity, and cooperation among nations,” she stated.

Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay: The pope’s priorities

Speaking about her meeting with Parolin during her morning press conference on Aug. 6, the president said that one of the topics addressed was the possibility of the Holy Father visiting Mexico.

According to Sheinbaum, Parolin told her that Pope Leo first wants to visit Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay, as these are countries “that Pope Francis did not visit.” She also indicated that the Holy Father has a “special relationship” with Peru “because he lived there for many years.”

The Holy See confirmed that Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to Peru, Uruguay, and Argentina from Nov. 6–17.

A visit possible after 2027 elections

Sheinbaum said the pontiff “obviously could not come to Mexico during the electoral period,” so his visit would have to wait until after the midterm elections of 2027.

Mexico will hold federal and state elections on June 6, 2027. At the federal level, the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are up for grabs, while in 17 states a total of 19,609 positions will be renewed, including 17 governorships and 1,098 local legislative seats.

“We continue to extend the invitation to him,” Sheinbaum said. “They told us ‘yes,’ that ‘he really wants to come to Mexico,’ … but there is still no established date.”

Sheinbaum indicated that during the meeting she and Parolin also discussed some initiatives developed jointly by the Mexican government and the Catholic Church, among them the program “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace,” which promotes the exchange of firearms for economic incentives. They also talked about the restoration of historic churches.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.