Holy See–Mexico relations

Holy See-Mexico relations

Holy See	Mexico

Holy See – Mexico relations are foreign relations between the Holy See and Mexico. The Vatican assigned an Apostolic Delegate as resident representative in Mexico in 1904, after diplomatic relations had earlier been broken off. In 1992 diplomatic relations were restored and resident diplomatic missions were established in each other's capitals, respectively. As of 1990 about 90 percent of Mexico's 86 million people declared themselves Roman Catholics.

History

File:Papa Francisco y EPN en el Hangar Presidencial.jpg

Pope Francis and President Enrique Peña Nieto, accompanied by First Lady Angélica Rivera, held a meeting in the premises of the Presidential hanger following the Pope's arrival in Mexico.

Mexico and the Vatican broke diplomatic relations after President Benito Juárez confiscated church property between 1856 and 1861. He disbanded religious orders and ordered the separation of church and state. Some of the powers of the Catholic Church were reinstated by the dictator Porfirio Diaz.

In 1992 after more than 130 years the Mexican Government re-established formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See and restored civil rights to the Roman Catholic Church in Mexico.

State visits

Papal visits from the Holy See to Mexico

• Pope John Paul II (1979, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2002)
• Pope Benedict XVI (2012)
• Pope Francis (2016)

Presidential visits from Mexico to the Holy See

• President Luis Echeverría (1974)
• President Carlos Salinas de Gortari (1991)
• President Ernesto Zedillo (1996)
• President Vicente Fox (2001)
• President Felipe Calderón (2007, 2011)
• President Enrique Peña Nieto (2013, 2014)

Resident diplomatic missions

• Holy See has an Apostolic Nunciature in Mexico City.
• Mexico has a resident embassy to the Holy See in Rome.

See also

• Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico
• Saints of the Cristero War

External links

• MEXICO: Pope John Paul II