Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by an estimated three million people in Lima on Wednesday as he opened the Peruvian leg of his South America tour, calling the country where he served for two decades his homeland. The 71-year-old pontiff urged Peru's leaders to confront the nation's painful past with 'justice and sensitivity,' arriving in a nation grappling with rising crime and deep political divisions. The visit is a homecoming for the first pope from either the United States or Peru, who had part of a lung removed in mid-October after a malignant tumor was discovered.
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV spent more than 20 years in Peru as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo before becoming pope. He holds both US and Peruvian citizenship. His six-day schedule will test his recovery, including a trip to Cuzco, more than 3,400 meters above sea level, considered a test for his recovery after part of a lung was removed in mid-October because of a malignant tumor.
The pope said he was 'returning to my homeland' and urged Peruvians to 'cultivate honesty, integrity.' Alberto Fujimori, the president's father, led Peru through the turbulent 1990s and a brutal war against Maoist Shining Path rebels. Some 69,000 people were killed or disappeared under his rule, and he was later jailed for corruption and crimes against humanity. Keiko Fujimori said Peru must face the 'unfinished task' of reconciliation.
The welcome comes as many Peruvians are weary of their leaders. The country has had nine presidents since July 2016. Seven of its last 14 presidents have been jailed or placed under house arrest. Homicide rates have nearly doubled in five years, and political science professor Alonso Cardenas told the Associated Press he sees 'no sign of a reaction, no strategy' from the Fujimori government.
The Catholic Church is more credible than any other Peruvian institution, even as Catholics’ share of the population has fallen from 76% to about 67%. 'The pope coming is a message of hope and peace, that will help our politics a lot,' said Jessibel Quispe, a mother and homemaker who was among the crowds. The pope will travel back to Chiclayo, visit the Amazon and the high Andes, and is due back at the Vatican on November 17.
The Peru visit is the final leg of a three-nation Latin American tour. In Argentina, the pope drew more than three million people to a mass in Lujan, delivering a pointed demand for protections for the poor and vulnerable, widely interpreted as a criticism of President Javier Milei's spending cuts.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The pope's visit injects a powerful moral voice into a country struggling with political instability and a crisis of confidence in its leaders.
- The high-altitude leg in Cuzco represents a specific and risky test of the pope's recovery from lung cancer surgery, watched closely by the Church worldwide.
- The tour is defining Pope Leo XIV's papacy, showing how he will wield the Church's influence in Latin America, a region facing stark political and economic challenges.
Background
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, became the first pope from the United States and the first from Peru following his election in 2025. He spent two decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor in October 2026.
Key Perspectives
Pope Leo XIV: Called Peru his homeland, urging leaders to confront past violence with 'justice and sensitivity' and demanded stronger protections for the poor and vulnerable.
President Keiko Fujimori: Acknowledged the 'unfinished task' of national reconciliation in a country scarred by her father's authoritarian rule and the Shining Path conflict.
Alonso Cardenas (political science professor): Described the government as lacking a reaction or strategy to address rising crime and instability.
Jessibel Quispe (Peruvian homemaker): Expressed hope that the pope's visit would help calm the country's heated politics and bring peace.
Veronique Lecaros (theology professor): Noted that the Catholic Church remains Peru's most credible institution, even as its share of the population declines.
What to Watch
- Whether the pope's health withstands the high-altitude stop in Cuzco, a key test of his post-surgery recovery.
- If Fujimori's government shifts its approach to crime and national reconciliation following the papal visit.
- How the Vatican balances its political influence across deeply divided Latin American nations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 9 supported.
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- SupportedPope Leo returned to Peru, which he called his “homeland.”DW English: “Pope Leo XIV opened the Peruvian leg of his South America tour on Wednesday, telling crowds in Lima that returning to the country where he served for two decades felt like coming home.”
- SupportedAbout three million people welcomed Pope Leo in Lima.DW English: “The Vatican estimated that about 3 million people lined his motorcade route, the Associated Press reported.”
- SupportedPope Leo urged Peru’s leaders to confront the country’s painful past with “justice and sensitivity.”RTÉ News: “He urged Peru's leaders to confront painful chapters of the country's past with "justice and sensitivity" touching on deep divisions that still scar national politics.”
- Partly supportedA high-altitude trip is planned after part of the pope’s lung was removed in mid-October because of a malignant tumor.DW English: “Leo’s six-day stay includes a trip to 3,700 meters (about 12,140 feet), considered risky after Leo had part of a lung removed in mid-October because of a malignant tumor .”
- SupportedPope Leo said he was “returning to my homeland.”DW English: “adding that he was "also returning to my homeland."”
- SupportedPope Leo urged Peruvians to “cultivate honesty, integrity.”DW English: “Leo urged Peruvians to "cultivate honesty, integrity," and to accept that "no one has all the answers."”
- SupportedKeiko Fujimori said Peru must face the “unfinished task” of reconciliation.DW English: “Fujimori said Peru must face the “unfinished task” of reconciliation after decades of insurgent violence, state abuses and sharp political divisions.”
- SupportedAlonso Cardenas told the Associated Press he saw “no sign of a reaction, no strategy” from Fujimori’s government.DW English: “Political science professor Alonso Cardenas told AP he sees "no sign of a reaction, no strategy" from Fujimori's government.”
- SupportedJessibel Quispe said, “The pope coming is a message of hope and peace, that will help our politics a lot.”RTÉ News: “"The pope coming is a message of hope and peace, that will help our politics a lot," she said.”
- Partly supportedThe Catholic Church is more credible than any other Peruvian institution.DW English: “Notably, the Catholic Church is more credible than any other Peruvian institution, theology professor Veronique Lecaros told AP”
- SupportedPeru’s homicide rates have nearly doubled in five years.DW English: “The country has had nine presidents since July 2016, and homicide rates have nearly doubled in five years.”
- Partly supportedIn Argentina, the pope demanded protections for the poor and vulnerable in remarks widely interpreted as criticism of Javier Milei’s spending cuts.RTÉ News: “In Argentina, Pope Leo pointedly demanded a more inclusive economy and better protections for the vulnerable - comments widely interpreted as criticism of aid-slashing President Javier Milei.”