Pope Francis will visit some of the poorest and most violent corners of Mexico on his first visit as pontiff, and will also head to the northern border to address the plight of migrants trying to reach the United States.
More than 100,000 people have been killed in Mexico's drug wars over the last decade and its reputation was battered by the case of 43 students abducted and apparently massacred in 2014.
President Enrique Pena Nieto's government botched the investigation, and relatives of the victims are looking to Francis for help in getting to the truth.