The eight Costa Rican bishops of the eight dioceses of the country asked Pope Francisco to visit Costa Rica. The petition was made during a meeting held with the religious hierarch on Monday.
Francisco will visit Panama in 2019, as part of the World Youth Day, so the bishops suggested he should escape to Costa Rica. According to Sixto Varela, a priest and spokesman from the Costa Rican Church, the Pope said he would review his agenda and discuss it with his advisers to see if it was possible.
The meeting held on Monday was part of a tour conducted by the Costa Rican delegation in Rome since last Thursday.
Varela explained they are conducting the quinquennial visit to the tombs of the holy apostles to renew their commitment to the church and the Pope.
This is the first time that all the Costa Rican representatives have met with Francisco. This visit should have happened two years ago, but after Benedict XVI’s resignation, four years ago, it had to be postponed.
Now, the bishops have to account for how they are working with the communities, and also present their main concerns about the country, including poverty, the relationship with the Government and increased crime.