Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on November 11, opening the final leg of his South America tour with a return to a country where he spent more than two decades as a missionary priest and bishop. Speaking to crowds in Lima, he said the visit felt like coming home.
“Today I understand how much of this land remains with me and how much of my own story also belongs to you,” Leo said. He added that he was “also returning to my homeland.” The pope holds Peruvian citizenship and served as bishop of Chiclayo before his election as pontiff.
Leo was received in Lima by President Keiko Fujimori. The two sang Peru’s national anthem at the presidential palace, according to DW.
Messages on integrity and reconciliation
In his address, Leo urged Peruvians to “cultivate honesty, integrity” and recognize that “no one has all the answers.” He also called for stronger disaster prevention in a country regularly affected by floods and landslides linked to El Niño.
Fujimori said Peru must address what she described as the “unfinished task” of reconciliation after decades of insurgent violence, state abuses and political divisions.
The pope’s stay in Peru is scheduled to continue until November 17. Vatican News confirmed his arrival in Lima for the final part of his apostolic journey, describing the country as a place where he served for years as a missionary and bishop.
Nicole French