Pope Leo XIV officiated a mass in St. Peter's Basilica to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe and requested her protection for Mexican youth against crime and addictions. This was the first time he led this December 12 celebration. Additionally, President Claudia Sheinbaum formally invited him to visit Mexico during a phone call.
On December 12, the traditional date for the Virgin of Guadalupe, Pope Leo XIV presided over the mass in her honor for the first time in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican. During the ceremony, which featured readings and chants in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, the pontiff invoked the patroness of Mexico and the Americas to protect youth from the threats of crime, addictions, and a meaningless life.
Leo XIV highlighted her consoling role: "This is how it happens in Guadalupe. On Tepeyac, she awakens in the inhabitants of America the joy of knowing they are loved by God." This invocation underscores the spiritual importance of the Guadalupan figure across the American continent.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a phone conversation with the Pope amid the Guadalupan celebrations. In the call, she reiterated the invitation for him to visit the country and emphasized the Virgin's relevance to national identity, beyond religious beliefs and in a secular state. Sheinbaum noted that the Pope has expressed interest in the Tepeyac sanctuary for months. The pontiff sent blessings and greetings to the Mexican people on this special date.
December 12 commemorates the 1531 miracle when the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill, requesting a temple and leaving Castilian roses as a sign for the bishop. Since then, she has been venerated at that site each year.
