The Presidency Council of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM) began an official visit to the Eternal City on September 14, with the aim of strengthening ties with the Holy See and promoting pastoral collaboration. During the first days, the Mexican bishops have participated in spiritual encounters, liturgical celebrations, and meetings with Vatican dicasteries, culminating in a scheduled audience with Leo XIV.
The delegation, made up of the bishops of the Presidency Council, Ramón Castro Castro, president of the CEM; the auxiliary bishop of Mexico, Héctor Mario Pérez Villarreal, general secretary; the archbishop of San Luis Potosí, Jorge Alberto Cavazos Arizpe, treasurer, and the vocal members, Roberto Yenny García, bishop of Ciudad Valles, and Felipe Pozos Lorenzini, bishop of Ciudad Obregón, along with executive secretaries and advisors to the CEM presidency, arrived in Rome for an agenda that includes dialogues with key instances of the Roman Curia. According to official sources from the CEM, this visit seeks to «strengthen the bonds of communion and ecclesial service» in a context of synodality and commitment to the People of God.
The journey began on September 15 with a visit to the Pontifical Mexican College, where the Council held a «spiritual and fraternal encounter» with the priestly formation community. During the event, a Eucharist was celebrated in the college chapel, presided over by the bishops, who posed for group photographs dressed in white liturgical vestments. Shared images show the group in front of a mosaic of the Crucified and a replica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, symbolizing the connection between Mexican faith and Roman tradition.
The CEM highlighted that this activity is part of a series of meetings aimed at «strengthening the bonds of communion». As the central point of the visit, an audience with His Holiness was announced, in which the bishops will express «the closeness, communion, and commitment of the Church in Mexico with the Successor of Peter».
The following day, on September 16, the delegation moved to St. Peter's Basilica, one of the most emblematic sites of the Vatican. There, they celebrated the Eucharist at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, a moment described as one of «profound communion with the universal Church». The bishops, dressed in red chasubles in honor of the liturgical feast, entrusted the pastoral service of the Mexican Church and the fruits of their dialogues with the Vatican dicasteries.
Photographs from the event capture the group in collective prayer, as well as in formal poses under Bernini's baldachin and in side chapels. A notable image shows two bishops from behind, praying before an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, fusing elements of Mexican devotion with the Vatican setting.
Later that same day, the Presidency Council visited the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, as well as the Dicasteries for Bishops and for the Service of Integral Human Development. These encounters aimed to «renew the commitment to work in pastoral unity» and share experiences for a service that is «closer, more integral, and supportive».
The CEM emphasized the synodal spirit of the discussions, promoting «paths of collaboration» between the Mexican Church and the universal Church. Hashtags such as #IglesiaMéxicoEnElVaticano and #CEMconElPapa have been used on social media to disseminate these activities, generating interaction among the faithful and ecclesial observers.
This visit is framed within a period of renewal for the Catholic Church in Mexico, which faces challenges such as migration, violence, and the promotion of peace. Scheduled since last February, the visit was postponed due to the illness and subsequent death of Pope Francis. With Leo XIV elected, the new Presidency Council of the CEM for the 2024-2027 term attends punctually to its meeting with the Bishop of Rome in order to foster unity and dialogue on the pastoral work of the Church of Mexico, in addition to the scheduled visits to various dicasteries according to pastoral needs to obtain support from curial bodies of the Holy See.
The CEM has invited Mexican faithful to join in prayer for the success of this mission, reinforcing the unity between the local Church and the See of Peter.
Help Infovaticana continue informing