Pope Leo XIV begins emotional Peru homecoming amid huge celebrations

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru, his adopted homeland, on Wednesday to begin the final leg of his South American tour, returning to the place he credits with shaping his pastoral ministry and where nationwide celebrations await his return home as their beloved "Padre Robert".The visit serves as the emotional centerpiece of his three-nation journey across the continent, reflecting the more than two decades the former Robert Prevost spent in Peru serving as a missionary priest and later bishop. Holding dual citizenship in both the United States and Peru, he is the first pope from each country.Upon touching down aboard a charter aircraft at an air base near Lima, Leo was formally received by President Keiko Fujimori.Former staff members expressed deep emotion ahead of his arrival. "My heart is so excited that it makes me want to cry with joy," said Zuly Castillo, who served as Leo’s secretary when he was bishop of the northern coastal city of Chiclayo. A life-size cardboard cutout of the pope now welcomes visitors opposite her office in his former residence.Highlighting the significance of the return, Gustavo Morello, an associate professor of sociology at Boston College and the author of "Lived Religion in Latin America," described Peru as the peak of the trip. "Peru is the crown of the trip, the homecoming of the first Peruvian pope, no matter where he was born," Morello said."This is a return to his origins without any doubt," Morello added.Preparations throughout the country have been substantial, including the unveiling of a 46-foot (14-meter) statue of the pontiff in the port city of El Callao. In Lima, the capital, baristas served cappuccinos decorated with the image of the pope.Outside the presidential palace in the capital, hundreds gathered near a stage equipped with giant screens amid tight security.(AFP/Getty)"Long live Christ!" the crowd sang, following a Catholic choir performing on the stage.Among those gathering was 52-year-old Anni Marino. "It’s so beautiful and so moving," she said while participating in the singing. "I hold it in my heart because he’s the representative of God."Public interest also swept Chiclayo, where Leo is depicted in colorful murals, emblazoned on T-shirts, baseball hats, bobblehead dolls, and ice creams.During his itinerary, Leo will celebrate Mass across his former stomping grounds, including a visit to the nearby sanctuary of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo in Zaña, a center of Afro-Peruvian culture where the pope regularly prayed to the saint of his devotion.Given his close familiarity with his adopted nation, his public statements will be closely observed, particularly a speech scheduled from the square outside Lima’s cathedral "on the challenges and hopes for the future of the Peruvian people."Peru, a nation of 34 million people, faces widespread issues, including the imminent arrival of severe weather patterns from El Niño, violent crime, and economic inequality. In 2025, 25.7% of the Peruvian population was living in monetary poverty.Speaking on the economic disparity, Morello observed that "A small elite has GDP levels comparable to some U.S. states," noting that while the macroeconomy "is doing well, most Peruvians live in structural poverty and economic insecurity."Morello noted that the return "could help build stability in the political system. Without any doubt, Peru is better now than 30 years ago, when Shining Path was still a threat," referring to the rebel movement that operated during Leo’s early years as an Augustinian missionary.Rolando Pérez, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, stated that "His return, now as pope, inspires great hope among a large segment of Peruvian society that still perceives and feels the abandonment of the state."Pérez added: "Deeply etched in the public consciousness is the image of a shepherd who stood by the people, helping to bring into the public agenda their demands and their cry for justice."(AFP/Getty)The pope will also travel to Pucallpa in the Peruvian Amazon to celebrate Mass, honoring Indigenous communities affected by illegal gold mining and the cultivation of coca leaves, the raw material used for cocaine production."The Amazon is a place where critical issues affecting development — such as the environmental crisis, the exclusion of Indigenous peoples, various forms of violence, and extreme poverty-- all intersect," said Pérez.Additionally, Leo will meet with religious groups and traditional representatives in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, an important city during Spanish colonial rule, and a cultural center near the ruins at Machu Picchu.The pope is set to celebrate Mass in Cusco’s main square, the location where Indigenous hero Túpac Amaru II was executed in 1781 following the most significant rebellion against Spanish rule during the colonial era.The visit occurs amid political instability under Conservative President Fujimori, who took office in July promising to restore order as extortion and homicide rates nearly doubled, reaching 10.7 per 100,000 residents from 5.8 five years ago.Many Peruvians welcome the pope while feeling discontented with government authority following a decade of political turbulence marked by nine presidents since July 2016. Citizens also face difficulties from increasing food costs and public insecurity."There’s no sign of a reaction, no strategy," from Fujimori’s government, he said.Consequently, many hope for a message from Leo that will prompt action from political authorities."There’s a profound sense of weariness regarding politics and corruption," said Véronique Lecaros, head of the department of theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, adding that the Catholic church retains higher credibility than other Peruvian institutions.Large crowds are expected for Leo's return despite recent declines in religious affiliation across Peru. Pew Research Center data shows the Catholic population declined from 76% in 2013-2014 to around 67%.This trend reflects global shifts toward non-affiliation, where increasing numbers identify as atheist, agnostic, spiritual, or nothing in particular. However, Lecaros suggested this does not signify that Peruvians have abandoned their faith, noting most still view themselves as religious."They’ll listen to the pope, and some inspired by his example, will renew their interest in the church," she said. "In the end though, it will depend on how Catholic lay and clerical leaders choose to behave."