Pope to travel to Latin America

Holy Father returns to the continent of his birth

Logos for Pope Francis' 9th Apostolic Journey (Photo Credit: Vatican News)

Pope Francis will be returning to Latin America to interact with the people of the continent. Throughout his journey, Pope Francis will travel to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay from July 5-13, says Vatican News.

All in all, Pope Francis is to spend 48 hours in each country, and each time he will be involved in a number of “common” events such as an audience with each President; a “sit-down” with the bishops, an encounter with civil society (representatives of business, indigenous people, the world of education, culture); a meeting with consecrated people.
Of course in each country he will also be involved in other events and situations as he is scheduled to visit a home for the aged run by the Sisters of Mother Teresa in Ecuador, a prison (one of the largest in Latin America) and a meeting with members of the World Meeting of Popular Movements in Bolivia; a children’s hospital and a slum area in Paraguay.

Pope Francis' trip will essentially be a homecoming, in the sense that it is the first time he will be back in his own continent since travelling to Rome for the conclave in 2013. Pope Francis will speak in his own language of Spanish during the trip.