Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lima on Wednesday for a high-profile visit to Peru, a nation he described as his “homeland” after spending two decades there as a missionary and bishop.
For the Chicago-born pontiff, the return marked an emotional homecoming to the place where he was formed as a pastor.
Some in the roaring crowds broke through tight security barriers to chase the vehicle transporting him to the presidential palace, where he met privately with President Keiko Fujimori. During the formal welcome ceremony, the Pope sang the Peruvian national anthem alongside the president and a children’s choir.
Having obtained Peruvian citizenship in 2015, he said that distance does not diminish love for one’s homeland. Earlier, he had stated, “Therefore I can say to you, with deep gratitude, that I also return to my homeland.”
The visit to Peru served as the emotional highlight of his three-nation South American tour. While the Pope’s arrival was celebrated by many, political science professor Alonso Cardenas said that the visit coincided with a period of deep public disappointment regarding political leadership.
President Fujimori used the occasion to call for national reconciliation, urging the country to confront the “unfinished task” of healing after decades of polarization and state abuses.
While the visit began in Lima, the city of Chiclayo holds a special place in the Pope’s history. He served as the bishop of the diocese there from 2015 to 2023, and residents across the northern city have decorated murals and baseball hats with his image.
More than 3,500 families have settled in the region, and the local Commission for Human Mobility and Human Trafficking reports that over 20,000 people have passed through the city.
Father Juan Mechán Sánchez, vicar of the cathedral, described the former bishop as a “father and a person very close to everyone.” During his tenure, the then-Bishop Prevost launched the process for Vatican recognition of “The Divine Child of the Miracle,” a purported Eucharistic event from 1649.
The Pope’s ministry in Peru was defined by his presence in the “trenches” during crises. He supported his community through the 2017 coastal El Niño, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Cyclone Yaku in 2023.
During these times, he was often seen wearing rubber boots to wade through flooded areas. His former secretary, Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, now serves as his papal secretary in Rome, a reminder of the bonds formed during those years.
Mildred Camacho, a 31-year-old goddaughter of the Pope, told OSV News that his return felt like “the return of a family member who’s been away.” She was baptized by the then-Father Prevost in 1996 and named after his late mother.
In his address to the nation, the Pope stressed that the Church cannot function merely as an aid group, emphasizing that “a church without Jesus is a dead church.” He called for dialogue and cooperation to address regional issues, including the impact of illegal gold mining and the cultivation of coca leaves on Indigenous populations.
He further advocated for legal safeguards to prevent abuses in the use of new technologies, urging leaders to foster an “everyday peace” that unites people of different goals.
The Pope is scheduled to continue his journey through the region, including a visit to Pucallpa to celebrate Mass with Indigenous peoples, before returning to Rome on November 17.
Earlier coverage: Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Peru
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