Pope Leo XIV Mexico visit confusion after Uruguay announcement, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico City, Mexico): A confusion surrounding Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming apostolic tour sparked reports of a supposed visit to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico, following remarks by María Montserrat Alvarado, the new prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. The official Holy See agenda, however, confirms that the pontiff will visit a parish with that name in Montevideo, Uruguay.
The controversy arose during the presentation of the route Pope Leo XIV will take through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled from November 6 to 17, 2026. In that context, Alvarado referred to the pope’s visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe, an expression that was immediately linked to the sanctuary located in Mexico City.
That interpretation generated reports of a possible confirmed trip to Mexico, although the official information does not point to that destination. The itinerary published by the Holy See states that Pope Leo XIV will attend the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Casavalle neighborhood of Montevideo on November 7, where he will meet with members of that community.
The Holy See’s public agenda does not currently include a visit to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico. There are also no dates, itinerary or activities announced for any eventual trip by the pontiff to Mexican territory.
The confusion led various media outlets to report that the Vatican had confirmed a visit to Mexico. Mexico City Head of Government Clara Brugada publicly spoke of a possible arrival of the pontiff in 2027.
That reference did not change the fact that, so far, there is no official Holy See announcement of a tour to Mexico.
Interest in receiving the pope does exist. President Claudia Sheinbaum extended a formal invitation during a phone conversation with Pope Leo XIV on December 12, 2025, when both discussed the significance of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a symbol of identity and peace for Mexicans.
In addition, the pontiff has previously expressed his interest in visiting the Basilica of Guadalupe, one of the main Catholic pilgrimage centers on the continent. Among the possibilities mentioned for an eventual visit are 2027 and 2031, the year that will mark 500 years since the Guadalupan event.
None of those dates has been confirmed by the Vatican.
For now, the pope’s next international tour includes only Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. A visit to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico remains pending an official announcement from the Holy See.
