A potential visit by Pope Leo XIV to Mexico in 2027 caused confusion after statements by Mexican and Vatican officials were interpreted by Mexican media as confirmation of the trip. However, no official visit to the country has been announced.
The misunderstanding arose during a recent press conference by María Montserrat Alvarado, new Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, in which she said that the pontiff would visit Our Lady of Guadalupe — a reference that was interpreted as an allusion to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Later on Tuesday, when asked about the matter during a press conference, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said that she had no confirmation of the visit. Still, she added that if it were to take place, it would be in 2027 on the occasion of the Guadalupan Jubilee Year.
“That is surely one of the reasons [of the Pope’s visit], and it will happen next year. We need to look at the dates, and we will provide an update right away,” she said.
The Guadalupan Jubilee Year began on Oct. 12 and is linked to the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the new Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Noticing the confusion, Televisa’s Vatican correspondent Valentina Alazraki clarified Wednesday morning that the Vatican’s spokesperson was referring to the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Casavalle, Uruguay.
#Actualización | La jefa del Gobierno capitalino, Clara Brugada, calificó como una buena noticia la visita que realizaría el papa León XIV a México.
Sin embargo, momentos después se aclaró que en realidad se trata de la parroquia de la Virgen de Guadalupe en Uruguay. 👇
— MVS Noticias (@MVSNoticias) November 3, 2026
“According to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, Montse Alvarado was not referring to the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City, but rather to the parish in Casavalle, Uruguay. Therefore, there was no confirmation of a papal visit to Mexico,” Alazraki wrote on her X account.
In a later post, Alazraki said that according to several Vatican sources, “it is very clear that Pope Leo does indeed want to go to Mexico” and visit the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
However, “there is nothing concrete, neither regarding the date nor the program. There is only the intention,” she stated.
Confusion over the Pope’s visit to Mexico comes days before his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Latin America, which will include visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru between Nov. 6 and 17.
With reports from El Sol de México
