Pope Leo XIV Returns to Peru for Historic Homecoming

Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old pontiff born Robert Prevost, has returned to Peru for a six-day visit. This marks the final leg of an 11-day South American tour and his first major Mass in the country where he served for two decades. The first pope from the United States and the first to hold Peruvian citizenship, he arrived to tens of thousands lining the streets of Lima. He was greeted at the presidential palace by a performance of the national anthem, which he sang along to.

He has been described as giddy and overwhelmed with emotion since landing. The pope toured in an open-air popemobile at the Pampas de Pimentel, a vast desert plain outside Chiclayo, where many in the crowd waved white-and-yellow Vatican flags. Maria Esther Chozo Reyes, 76, took a 12-hour bus ride from Lima and camped overnight to see him. His connection to Peru runs deep, beginning in 1985 when he arrived as a 29-year-old Augustinian missionary. He later served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023, championing social justice and embracing the poor.

Massive Crowd Expected for First Major Mass

The first major Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Peru is scheduled for Friday morning on a massive field outside Chiclayo. Church organizers say as many as a million people could turn out for the event. The crowds in Chiclayo, a commercial hub of 700,000 people, were smaller than the estimated 3 million who welcomed him in the capital. On Thursday night, around 60,000 young Peruvians sang for him in a Lima stadium. He arrived in Chiclayo on a plane decorated with '#LeoXFliesHome' stickers, welcomed by a small dance troupe.

Humanitarian Legacy and Social Justice

His nearly four decades in Peru were defined by hands-on humanitarian work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused over 219,000 deaths in Peru, he raised $380,000 through Caritas to buy two oxygen plants. He personally delivered aid to remote areas, including by helicopter, and provided last rites to victims during lockdowns. He also responded to devastating floods in 2023 and the surge of Venezuelan migrants beginning in 2018. He appointed a theologian to lead a commission on human mobility and human trafficking. About 20,000 Venezuelan migrants passed through his former diocese, with 3,500 families settling in the region. Peru has received 1.6 million migrants, the second-highest number in South America.

Clerical Abuse Accountability and Reparations

The pope met privately with six victims of clerical abuse, listening to their stories individually. The Vatican stated he reflected on fostering a shift in mindset toward listening to victims and creating safe environments. In an address to bishops, he described clerical abuse as 'a reality that has caused us so much pain' and called for the church to make 'amends'. A colleague who worked with him believed he would follow a 'no tolerance' stance on abuse and support victim reparations. This occurs in a context where a U.S.-based NGO published a list of 77 Peruvian clergy accused of sexual abuse, and a major Peruvian Catholic movement was dissolved over abuse allegations in 2025.

Cultural and Community Tributes

Local tributes to the pope abound in Chiclayo. The El Trebol restaurant calls itself the restaurant of the pope, displaying photos of him riding a horse and wading through mud. It sells 'Papaletas' or 'Pop(e)sicles' with his image and has a 'blessed table' where he used to sit. A life-size cardboard cutout welcomes visitors to his former residence, where an exhibit displays the skullcaps he wore as bishop, cardinal, and pope. Street sweeper Cynthia Charrary said, 'I feel so happy about my work because the pope is Chiclayano.' José Luis Pérez Guadalupe noted the visit is celebratory, saying, 'This visit is like a big party. Peruvians want to celebrate their first ever pope.'

The pope is particularly devoted to a 16th-century archbishop of Lima who defended Indigenous rights. Pope Leo XIV will stay in the area until Sunday to lead eight events, including a private dinner with priests who once reported to him.