LIMA, Peru (Azat TV) – Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, for the final and emotional leg of his South American tour, returning to the country where he spent more than two decades as a missionary priest and bishop. Millions of citizens lined the motorcade route to welcome the pontiff, who holds dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, as he touched down and met with President Keiko Fujimori at the presidential palace.
The visit marks a deeply personal homecoming for the former Robert Prevost, whom locals affectionately call “Padre Robert.” Emerging from an Aerolineas Argentinas charter plane at the airport in Lima, Pope Leo smiled broadly and embraced two children who presented him with flowers before greeting President Fujimori. Vatican estimates indicate that approximately 3 million people lined the kilometers-long motorcade route into the capital, waving Peruvian flags and banners of the Holy See.
Some individuals in the enthusiastic crowds broke through tight security barriers to follow the vehicle transporting the pontiff to the presidential palace. During the formal welcome ceremony in the palace courtyard, Pope Leo joined President Fujimori and a children’s choir in singing the Peruvian national anthem. The emotional resonance of the trip stems from his decades of pastoral service in the country, where he has frequently stated that he learned what it means to be a shepherd.
National Elation and Public Festivities Across Peru
Elation over the pope’s return has swept across the nation of 34 million people. In preparation for the apostolic journey, local communities erected a towering 46-foot (14-meter) statue of the pontiff in the port city of El Callao. In Lima, local baristas served cappuccinos decorated with foam images of the pope, while merchandise ranging from T-shirts to bobblehead dolls flooded markets in cities like Chiclayo, where the pope is scheduled to travel next.
Zuly Castillo, who served as Leo’s secretary when he was bishop of Chiclayo near Peru’s Pacific coast, expressed profound emotion upon his return. Gustavo Morello, an associate professor of sociology at Boston College and the author of “Lived Religion in Latin America,” noted in an interview reported by ABC7 that the visit represents an undisputed return to the pontiff’s origins, describing Peru as the crown of the international journey.
Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace with raised hands and lifted voices, singing “Long live Christ!” and participating in religious programs. The widespread public engagement reflects deep ties forged during his years working within local parishes and communities before ascending to the papacy as the first pontiff with dual American and Peruvian ties.
Socio-Economic Challenges and Policy Stakes
While the visit carries significant spiritual and emotional jubilation, it unfolds against a backdrop of severe socio-economic challenges. Peru faces mounting hurdles, including violent crime, persistent income inequality, and the looming threat of the El Niño climatic phenomenon. Official figures indicate that 25.7 percent of the Peruvian population lived in monetary poverty in 2025.
Observers and civic groups are closely monitoring the pope’s scheduled addresses, particularly a major speech he is set to deliver from the square in front of Lima’s cathedral. The address is expected to focus directly on the challenges and hopes for the future of the Peruvian people, putting the pontiff’s moral authority in direct dialogue with the nation’s domestic pressures.
Following his engagements in Lima, Pope Leo is scheduled to travel to Chiclayo on Friday. He will also celebrate Mass at the sanctuary of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo in Zaña, a historic hub of Afro-Peruvian culture where he frequently prayed during his years as a bishop and missionary.