.- The Archbishop of Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, said in Rome last week that Benedict XVI would like to visit Mexico in January of 2009 to preside at the World Meeting of Families, but that the trip would depend on his schedule.
“We are optimistic and hopeful, we want him to come, the Pope wants to go but I do not know what commitments he has on those dates. I hope the Holy Father decides to make the trip,” Cardinal Rivera told Notimex news agency.
The cardinal also revealed some details about the event that will take place in Mexico City, including a theological congress January 13-16, a festival and a Mass at the Estadio Azteca on January 17. “If the Holy Father attends, things change, if he cannot for some reason the venues will be smaller,” he said.
The final Mass may be held at the Alameda Poniente in the Mexican capital in an area that could hold up to two million. The second alternative would be to celebrate the Mass at a sports complex in Iztapalaba with a capacity for one million. The third alternative is the plaza outside the Basilica of Guadalupe, which has a capacity for 140,000.
