Pope Francis received the keys to the city of Morelia, the capital of the Mexican state of Michoacan, one of the most violent in the country and which emerged in recent years a civilian self-defense to cope with drug trafficking, Efe reported an ecclesiastical source .
The priest Colin Ruben Hernandez, coordinator of Social Communication of the Archdiocese of Morelia, the mayor explained that this recognition Alfonso Martinez delivered the pontiff on February 16, the day he is scheduled to visit the city's west.
The ceremony was held in the atrium of the Cathedral of Morelia, where the pope will meet with Francisco 600 children from various parts of the town.
To prepare the scale of the pope's visit to Mexico, which will run from 12 to 18 February and will include other cities Thursday in Morelia was the Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, along with the Vatican envoy Alberto Gasbarri.
Gasbarri monitors these days in Mexico the path of Francisco by the Latin American nation, which will land on February 12 to be received tomorrow by President Enrique Peña Nieto, the diplomatic corps in the country, cardinals, archbishops and bishops.
In the Mexican capital will officiate a Mass in the Basilica of Guadalupe and Sunday will visit Ecatepec (in the central state of State), before traveling on Monday to the southern state of Chiapas, on Tuesday Michoacan and Wednesday to northern Chihuahua , to the US border, where he will end his stay.
Osorio Chong said Thursday that the conditions necessary security for the pope to visit Francisco Michoacan, where the paramilitaries who broke prevail in February 2013, amid a wave of violence that remains so far intermittently.
Asked if security is at risk pontiff, the head of the internal policy of the country said: "No, I think not, it is quite the contrary, the Pope's visit will bring peace, bring peace to all Mexicans."
He revealed that in coordination with Alberto Gasbarri and members of the security and justice areas of the country inspected the possible points where will the Pope during his tour of Morelia, a city that will remain ten hours.
"We're seeing what will be the Pope's, that everything is to be put in the conditions that we want quiet, with appropriate logistics, with all the support he has received from the State Government and the authorities of the Vatican conform to it that what is to be done in Morelia will do well, "he added.
Mexico is the second country with the largest number of Catholics, only behind Brazil, which is expected to be received by pope million faithful during his trip.
Francisco will be the third pope to visit Mexico, after John Paul II did in 1979, 1990, 1993, 1999 and 2002, and Benedict XVI in 2012.