In Mexico, Pope Francis prayed for migrants.
A few months later, he traveled to Lesbos in Greece to meet with refugees—a scene that touched many.
The Pope has visited places where men and women suffer abandonment, hunger and violence, like his trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the Philippines, Pope Francis brought to light the tragic situation of abandoned children.
After the pandemic, Pope Francis visited Iraq, a country struggling to rebuild itself after the effects of the Islamic State.
His trips included countries where it had been decades since the last papal visit, European countries that are not historically Catholic, and countries like Canada, where he traveled to ask forgiveness for the abuses committed against indigenous people in Catholic residences.
Pope Francis was the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula. In 2019, he visited the United Arab Emirates to strengthen ties with Islam. Three years later, he traveled to Bahrain to denounce religious fanaticism.
“Because it is not enough to say that a religion is peaceful,” Pope Francis said. “We need to denounce and isolate the violent people who abuse its name.”
Some of the most joyful visits were in Latin America. There, the heart of Pope Francis’ message was evident from the time he got off the plane in Brazil.
“But I want to make some noise in the dioceses,” Pope Francis said. “I want Christians to go outside their dioceses.”
The Pope also visited Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. The joy shown by the billions of people who came from around the world demonstrated their love for the first Latin American Pope in history.