3 million people welcome Pope Leo to Peru
November 12, 2026
Pope Leo XIV returned to Peru, where he ministered as a missionary and later as a bishop, and encouraged the nation’s leaders to listen to others and serve the common good.
Following a farewell ceremony in Buenos Aires (video), Pope Leo embarked on a flight of over four hours to Callao, less than ten miles from the Peruvian capital of Lima. During the flight, Pope Leo issued the customary telegrams to heads of state through whose airspace he passed.
The Pontiff arrived in Peru at 5:01 P.M. Following a welcome ceremony at the air base (video), the Pope was driven to the Government Palace in Lima and arrived at 6:56 P.M. An estimated three million Peruvians welcomed Pope Leo; at the Government Palace, the Pope took part in another welcome ceremony (video) before meeting privately with President Keiko Fujimori.
At 8:30 P.M., the Pope addressed civil authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in the Gran Teatro Nacional.
“This return visit holds a very special meaning for me,” he said. “My history with Peru began long before the Lord entrusted me with the Diocese of Chiclayo. For years, decades, I shared in the lives of its people, listened to their concerns, and learned from their faith.”
“Many opened the doors of their homes to me, shared their table with me—and, of course, some good ceviche—and made me feel like one of their own,” he recalled. “In 2015, I received Peruvian citizenship. That act symbolized a bond that this people had been weaving into my life long before. Today I understand how much of this land remains with me and how much of my own story also belongs to you.”
“Democratic life brings together people of diverse convictions and aspirations, united by a shared national destiny,” the Pope told the nation’s leaders. “Institutions provide channels through which these differences can find expression and paths to understanding can be forged. Public decisions also affect those who live far from the places where they are made, and this should never be forgotten.”
After paying tribute to the history and people of Peru, the Pope said that the Church “wishes to continue offering the Peruvian people what it has received as its mission: to proclaim the Gospel, to accompany those who suffer, and to serve the dignity of every person.”
He added:
Ladies and gentlemen: there are many ways to serve Peru. I thank those who do so through their institutions and all those who, through their daily work, contribute to the good of their communities. I have received so much from you. There are faces, conversations, and gestures of affection that, even after so many years, continue to stay with me.
From the See of Peter, I wish to reciprocate such affection with my prayers and my closeness. I would also like to propose to you the Social Doctrine of the Church as a guide to enlighten and direct the efforts of all who work for the good of this nation.
Pope Leo concluded:
At the well of Saint Rose of Lima, generations of Peruvians have placed their petitions and hopes. Today, from here, I too would like to place my prayer into that blessed well. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Rose, and all the saints and blessed of this land, I ask the Lord that the love of Christ may help you to recognize in every Peruvian a brother or sister, and in each one, yet another reason to love your homeland. May God bless Peru and all its people. Thank you very much.
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Further information:
- Apostolic Journey to Peru: Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 11/11/26)
- Farewell Ceremony from Argentina, Departure from Buenos Aires, Telegram to the President of the Argentine Republic, Telegram to the Head of State of Chile during the flight from Buenos Aires to Lima, Official Welcome (Holy See Press Office, 11/11/26)
- Pope Leo XIV departs from Argentina for Peru (Vatican News, 11/11/26)
- Pope Leo arrives in Peru for final leg of Apostolic Journey (Vatican News, 11/11/26)
- Pope in Peru: ‘Distance does not necessarily diminish love for one’s homeland’ (Vatican News, 11/11/26)
- Welcome Ceremony in Peru, Visit to the President of the Republic of Peru, Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps in the “Gran Teatro Nacional” (Holy See Press Office, 11/11/26)
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