'Peruvian pope' makes jubilant return to 'homeland'

Detailed summary

Pope Leo XIV arrived in his "beloved" Peru yesterday, a nostalgic return to the nation where he spent two decades as a missionary before being tapped to lead the world's 1.4…

Pope Leo XIV arrived in his "beloved" Peru yesterday, a nostalgic return to the nation where he spent two decades as a missionary before being tapped to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

The 71-year-old pontiff landed in Lima on the last leg of an arduous three-nation Latin American tour, just weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

"The pope is Peruvian!" exclaimed some of the estimated three million supporters who lined the streets along the route from the airport, as phalanxes of soldiers in red and green berets stood guard.

Speaking to authorities and diplomats shortly after his arrival, Pope Leo described Peru as his "homeland", saying years spent working in the country and acquiring Peruvian citizenship had made it part of him.

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.

In the audience was President Keiko Fujimori, whose father Alberto Fujimori led Peru through the turbulent 1990s and a brutal war against Maoist Shining Path rebels.

Some 69,000 people were killed or disappeared under Fujimori senior's harsh rule and the disgraced late president was jailed for corruption and crimes against humanity.

Throughout the pope's trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru he has not shied away from tackling sensitive political and social topics.

Six days in Peru will see Chicago-born Pope Leo travel from the deep Amazon to the high Andes. He will visit Cuzco, at more than 3,400 meters elevation, a test for this recovery from lung surgery.

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