“I’m so excited for having seen the Pope and think it’s an unforgettable experience,” said Pantoja.
She and her fellow volunteers could be identified by the traditional “ayate” – a type of poncho – with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on one side and the Sanctuary of Christ the King on the other.
Jorge López, 18, came to Bicentennial Park to hear a message of “peace and hope from the Pope that is so needed by this country. I also hope that our faith grows.”
“I’m excited to be here,” said Paula Garza Ojeda, wife and mother of three children, who was especially happy “to see so many young people gathered here today.”
Miguel Paire Masías, who was able to see the Pope at World Youth day last August in Madrid, said he hoped Mexicans would “encounter God through the Holy Father’s message.”
Young people welcomed the Pope with rhyming chants on Sunday, as they did at his previous appearances during the visit to Guanajuato. One of the popular chants declared: “Se siente, se siente, el Papa está presente.” (“He’s coming, he’s coming, the Pope is now here.”)
“Benedicto, amigo, Juan Pablo está contigo,” ran another – “Benedict, friend, John Paul is with you.”