Mons. Ramón Castro Castro, Bishop of Cuernavaca and president of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), will accompany Leo XIV during his apostolic visit to Peru, which takes place from November 11 to 16. The news was announced on November 11, at the beginning of the CXXI Plenary Assembly of the Mexican bishops, through the Catholic News Network, the media outlet of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral of Communication of the CEM. Castro travels at the invitation of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference to represent the bishops of Mexico in the activities of the Pontiff, and described the invitation as “a gift of providence” that will allow him to strengthen the bonds of fraternity with the Peruvian Church.
Learning from the Peruvian organization
Peru is the third and final stage of a trip that the Pope began on November 6 and which will conclude on the 17th, after passing through Uruguay and Argentina. Beyond the gesture of communion between episcopates, Castro presented a practical reason: to establish collaborative ties with the bishops of Peru and learn about their experience in the preparation and organization of the papal visit. The objective, according to the CEM, is to “gather learnings” useful for the Church in Mexico in the event of a possible arrival of the Pope to the country, whose visit has been desired on various occasions, so that the Mexican episcopate thus joins the episcopal conferences that have asked the Pontiff to visit their territory.
A message from the trip
Castro addressed the faithful through social media with a phrase that summarizes the meaning of his presence: “Know that I carry each one of you in my heart.” Ramón Castro was elected president of the CEM during the plenary assembly of November 2024, as InfoVaticana reported at the time.