Pope Francis News: Church Confirm Pontiff's Visit to Mexico

Pope Francis will be gracing Mexico with his presence on Feb. 12. The pontiff will start his highly-anticipated visit to the predominantly Roman Catholic country.

A report with NBC News states that Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera did not disclose any details regarding the pontiff's visit except that Pope Francis will be arriving in Mexico City on Feb. 12. Local media outlets have also added that the Pope's visit will last until Feb. 20. During his visit to Mexico, Pope Francis is expected to address the issues of violence in Mexico as well as the much-debated migration, which is one of the central themes of Pope Francis' reign as pope.

"On that day, we are going to give him a very warm welcome," Rivera said during Sunday's mass in Mexico City, a report with Asia One said.

This is to mark Pope Francis' visit to Mexico, with his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI visiting the Catholic nation in March 2012. Pope John Paul II had visited Mexico five times in his 26-year pontificate.

The report also added that one of Pope Francis' chief priorities of the visit was to guide the flock. Mexico is one of the Latin American countries to remain predominantly Roman Catholic while other nations like Brazil has come to embrace Protestantism over the last few decades.

CBS reported that the pontiff had capped his recent visit to the United States by visiting Philadelphia. Pope Francis visited Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on Sept. 27 to deliver his message of hope, redemption and comfort to over 100 inmates, which included suspected serial killers and rapists, among others. He also implored Americans to remember the prisoners as part of his mission to reach out to the poor and forgotten of the world. 

"I am here as a pastor but, above all, as a brother," he said. "To share your situation and to make it my own," he added.

The pontiff also met with five victims of child molestation, to which he "deeply apologized" to in behalf of their tormentors. Pope Francis assured the victims that he believes their stories and said that he felt pain for them when they came forward with their stories only to have people not believe them.

"I pledge to you that we will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead," the Argentinian pontiff said in Spanish. "Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children."