Pope Leo XIV returned to Peru on Wednesday, a country he referred to as his "beloved." This nostalgic trip comes to a country where he served as a missionary for two decades before being elected to lead 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
Return to Homeland
The 71-year-old pope landed in Lima as the final stop of his three-country tour in Latin America, following surgery to treat lung cancer. An estimated crowd of around three million people gathered along his route from the airport, shouting, "The pope is Peruvian!"
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Message to Peru's Leaders
Pope Leo described Peru as his homeland in a speech to officials and diplomats upon his arrival in Lima, stating that his years of service in the country and his Peruvian citizenship have made it a part of his being. He urged the country's leaders to address the painful chapters of their past with "justice and sensitivity" and highlighted the deep divisions that still cast a shadow over national politics.
In attendance at the ceremony was Kiko Fujimori, the President of Peru. His father, Alberto Fujimori, led Peru during the tumultuous 1990s and was involved in a brutal war against the Maoist insurgents known as the "Shining Path." Approximately 69,000 people lost their lives or went missing during this internal conflict. The former president is currently imprisoned for corruption and crimes against humanity.
During his six-day stay in Peru, Pope Leo will travel from the Amazon to the Andes and will visit the city of Cusco, located at an altitude of over 3,400 meters, which will be a test of his recovery after surgery. He will also return to the northern city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for a decade. He arrives in a country marked by deep political divisions and issues such as rising crime and living costs, where seven of the last 14 presidents have been imprisoned or placed under house arrest due to corruption or other crimes. Pope Leo stated that Peruvians should be able to live and work "without fear" and urged authorities to take further action to prevent natural disasters.
Prior to his trip to Peru, Pope Leo held a worship service in Luján, Argentina, for over three million people on Wednesday, marking the largest crowd during his 18-month papacy. He thanked the people of Argentina for their warm welcome and called for a more inclusive economy and better support for the vulnerable. These remarks were interpreted as criticism of President Javier Milei's austerity policies.
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