Pope Leo XIV Welcomed by Three Million in Peru on Return to His Second Homeland

The update

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lima on Wednesday to begin a six-day visit to Peru, the final leg of his Latin American tour after Uruguay and Argentina. The Vatican said about three million people greeted him in Lima, a record crowd for his papacy. The 71-year-old, born in Chicago, served in Peru for more than two decades as a missionary and bishop and acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015.

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Why it matters

Leo told officials and diplomats that the years he shared in Peru shaped him as a pastor, saying how much of the land remains in him and that he was also returning to his homeland. Meeting President Keiko Fujimori, he urged Peru to confront painful chapters of its past with justice and sensitivity and to address differences with respect, a message Fujimori described as an invitation to national reconciliation.

What to watch

Leo is expected to spend three days in Chiclayo, where he was bishop from 2015 to 2023, and to travel beyond Lima during the visit. His speeches on reconciliation, safety and protecting lives will be watched closely in a country the reports describe as marked by political instability.

Sources

• aljazeera.com — confirms the three-million Vatican crowd estimate, the tour route and the Chiclayo stay
• euronews.com — confirms the six-day visit, the welcome in Lima and the call for just healing

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