Mexico’s president, hundreds of children to welcome pope in Juarez

Nearly 2,500 children will receive Pope Francis at a private hangar within Juarez’s airport whe he arrives in less than a month.

Pope Francis is scheduled to end his trip to Mexico in Juarez on Feb. 17.

Tuesday, the Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Juarez held its weekly news conference with new information and confirmation of a special guest.

Father Hesiquio Trevizo announced that many of those children will be altar boys, children with special needs and four youth orchestras that will play for the pontiff.

And possibly one of the biggest announcements Tuesday afternoon, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto along with his wife will spend some time with Pope Francis before his departure.

The last time Pena-Nieto was in Juarez was in January 2015, when he highlighted the
the decrease in violence the city had seen. Nieto was also met with demonstrators protesting his policies.

Another important step the diocese has taken in organizing the event is creating a call center.

Father Omar Gutierrez said the center will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to answer any questions in English and Spanish.

dial 011 + 52 + phone number

(656)617-72-72

(656)617-81-81

(656)687-87-87

(656)617-74-74

(656)617-34-32

(656)687-86-86

Treviso said they are also requesting businesses like corner stores and restaurants stay open late to be able to serve the hundreds of thousands who will be looking for food and drinks.