VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope John Paul II will visit Mexico in January, the 20th anniversary of a Mexican trip that helped set the tone of his papacy.
The announcement was made Tuesday on Vatican Radio by the pope’s envoy in Mexico, Archbishop Justo Mullor Garcia, giving the dates as Jan. 22-25.
During the 1979 visit, the pope told Latin American bishops assembled in Puebla, Mexico, to maintain their commitment to the poor, but to keep from becoming partisan politicians — a course that has characterized his papacy.
It will be John Paul’s fourth trip to Mexico, following the 1979 stop and further visits in 1990 and 1993.