Leon, Mexico, Mar 25, 2012 / 22:12 pm
As Pope Benedict XVI prepared to leave Mexico and journey to Cuba, the director of the Holy See Press Office said the Pope had accomplished his goal of confirming the country in its Catholic faith.
The trip's fundamental objective “had been completed,” said Fr. Federico Lombardi, offering his evaluation of Pope Benedict's visit to Mexico. It was the Pope's first official visit to a Spanish-speaking Latin American country during his reign.
At a press conference in the city of León, the Jesuit priest and Vatican spokesman said the goal of the trip was to “have a personal encounter between the Holy Father and the Mexican people” – as occurred at Sunday's Mass, with over 600,000 worshipers in attendance.
Fr. Lombardi said the German Pope had “overcome” any distance between himself and the Mexican people, who greeted him as an honorary Mexican in one popular rhyming chant.