Despite the Catholic Church鈥檚 lengthy presence in Latin America, the first papal visit to the region didn鈥檛 take place until 1968, when Pope Paul VI visited Bogota, Colombia. A TIME Magazine article dated Aug. 30, 1968, noted that upon arrival, the pope 鈥渇ell to his knees at the foot of the airplane ramp and ,鈥� imitating Christopher Columbus鈥檚 first act when he arrived in the New World.
When Paul VI visited, the region was caught up in conflicts and dictatorships, ranging from a civil war in Guatemala to a military rule in Brazil. However, the main purpose of the pope鈥檚 visit was to prevent further splintering of the Latin American Catholic church, according to TIME.
