President Sheinbaum Extends Official Invitation to Pope Leo XIV for Mexico Visit

Historic Invitation Extended on Significant Date

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Mexico during a telephone conversation held on Friday, December 12, 2025. The call took place on the deeply significant Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a major religious and cultural observance for millions in Mexico.

During their discussion, both President Sheinbaum and Pope Leo XIV acknowledged that the Virgin of Guadalupe serves as a powerful symbol of identity and peace for the Mexican people, transcending individual religious beliefs and the secular nature of the state.

Details of the Presidential Call

President Sheinbaum, who assumed office on October 1, 2024, as Mexico's first female and first Jewish president, was accompanied during the call by key members of her cabinet. These included Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, the Secretary of the Interior, and Roberto Velasco Álvarez, the Undersecretary for North America and Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The President's office confirmed that Pope Leo XIV conveyed his blessings and greetings to all Mexicans on the occasion of the Guadalupan celebration.

Previous Efforts and Papal Background

This direct invitation follows earlier diplomatic efforts by the Mexican government. A formal invitation letter was previously delivered to the Vatican by Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez during Pope Leo XIV's investiture ceremony on May 18, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV, whose secular name is Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as the head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. He holds the distinction of being the first American-born Pope. Mexico, with its approximately 111 million Catholic faithful, ranks as the second-largest Catholic country globally, following Brazil. A papal visit would therefore carry significant religious, social, and diplomatic weight, further strengthening ties between the Mexican state and the Holy See.