Pope Francis jokes about tequila with Mexican tourist

'With tequila or without tequila?'

Pope Francis is wondering whether he will be welcomed with tequila ahead of his visit to Mexico next month.

The Pope made the joke while he greeted people in the Vatican's St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Day, according to a video that was posted on Facebook.

In the footage, which has been translated from Spanish, a Mexican tourist can be heard saying, “Welcome to Mexico in February.”

The Pope then asks: “With tequila or without tequila?”

The tourist promises him there will be “a lot of tequila”, before asking for a blessing.

The video, in which the Pope can be seen walking away smiling, has been viewed more than 310,000 times and has been shared more than 7,000 times.

On New Year's Day, the Pope also delivered a message at St Peter's Basilica, in which he asked people to overcome "a torrent of misery" by building a more "just and fraternal world" where everyone can live in peace.

He said: "We ask how long human evil will continue to sow violence and hatred in our world, reaping innocent victims... we are witnessing hordes of men, women and children fleeing war, hunger and persecution, ready to risk their lives simply to encounter respect for their fundamental rights."

Pope Francis' visit to Mexico was announced in November. During the trip, from 12 to 17 February, it is believed that he will address issues such as poverty and migration.

Additional reporting by Reuters