MEXICO CITY — Devotees of Mexico’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, flooded streets overnight near the capital's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, carrying images of her on their backs and converging with music, bottle rockets, candles and prayers.

Some say that every Dec. 12, all roads in Mexico lead to the enormous circular Roman Catholic church where the faithful come to show their devotion on the anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1531, one of the largest Catholic pilgrimages in Latin America.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had spoken with Pope Leo XIV Friday to invite him to visit the country. She wrote on the social platform X that the pontiff had “sent blessings and greetings to all.”

“We agree that beyond the religion that each person profes

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