Pope Leo returns to what is expected to be a national party in his second homeland of Peru

Detailed summary

The visit to Peru marks the final leg of Leo’s three-nation South America tour and its emotional highlight, given the more than two decades the pontiff spent in Peru as a missionary priest and later bishop.

LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV arrived in his second homeland of Peru on Wednesday, returning to the place that he credits with teaching him how to be a pastor and where a nationwide party awaits to welcome their beloved “Padre Robert” home.

The visit to Peru marks the final leg of Leo’s three-nation South America tour and its emotional highlight, given the more than two decades that the former Robert Prevost spent in Peru as a missionary priest and later bishop. As a dual citizen of the United States and Peru, he’s the first pope from each country.

Leo’s charter plane touched down at a Lima-area air base, where he was being welcomed by President Keiko Fujimori.

“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 city of Chiclayo near the Pacific Coast. Across from her office, a life-size cardboard cutout of the pope now welcomes visitors to his former residence.

“Peru is the crown of the trip, the homecoming of the first Peruvian pope, no matter where he was born,” said Gustavo Morello, an associate professor of sociology at Boston College and the author of “Lived Religion in Latin America.”

In preparation for the pope’s visit, a huge 46-foot statue of the pontiff was unveiled in the port of El Callao. Baristas in Lima, the capital, were offering cappuccinos decorated with the image of the pope.

With hands raised and voices lifted in song, hundreds awaited the pope’s arrival in Lima in front of the presidential palace, where a stage and giant screens had been set up amid tight security.

“Long live Christ!” the crowd sang, following a Catholic choir on the stage.

“It’s so beautiful and so moving,” said Anni Marino, 52, who enthusiastically joined the singing. “I hold it in my heart because he’s the representative of God.”

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