Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on November 11, opening the third and final leg of his Apostolic Journey to South America following visits to Uruguay and Argentina, Vatican News reported.
The papal plane landed at Callao Air Base, where President Keiko Fujimori and Foreign Minister Carlos Espá welcomed him. Two children presented the Pope with a bouquet of flowers, which he received with a hug.
A choir of 27 children from Sinfonía por el Perú performed as various groups gathered to greet him. The Pope stopped to bless people with disabilities and several babies. Children also presented him with small gifts before he greeted the Vatican delegation.
From Callao, Pope Leo was scheduled to travel to Avenida Brasil, where he would board the popemobile to greet people lining the streets on his way to the Presidential Palace for the official welcome ceremony and meeting with President Fujimori.
His first evening in Peru was scheduled to conclude at the Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima, where he would address government authorities, civil society representatives and members of the diplomatic corps.
The visit marks Pope Leo’s return to a country where he served for many years as an Augustinian missionary and later as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.
On Nov. 12, he was scheduled to meet Peru’s bishops and preside over Midday Prayer at the Cathedral of Lima. He would also participate in a gathering on the challenges and hopes of the Peruvian people in the square outside the cathedral.
The papal journey will take him to Chiclayo in northern Peru on Friday, where he will celebrate Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel.
His itinerary also includes Cusco, where he will pray the Angelus at Saqsaywaman, and Pucallpa, where he will meet missionaries and representatives of Amazonian communities.
Pope Leo will return to Lima to celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base on Monday, Nov. 16, before departing for Rome.
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