Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday for a visit he described as a return to his "homeland." The 71-year-old pontiff, who holds dual U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, was greeted by an estimated 3 million people along his motorcade route according to Vatican figures. The visit is the final leg of a three-nation South American tour that included stops in Uruguay and Argentina.
Leo, born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, spent more than two decades in Peru as a missionary priest and later as the bishop of Chiclayo. He acquired Peruvian citizenship in 2015. During a formal welcome ceremony at the presidential palace, the pope met privately with President Keiko Fujimori and joined a children's choir in singing the Peruvian national anthem. In his opening remarks, Leo stated that his story belongs to the Peruvian people, who he said formed him as a pastor.
The trip follows a recent medical procedure in Italy. Approximately one month ago, Leo underwent surgery to remove a nodular lesion from his right lung, which surgeons confirmed was adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer. The Vatican reported the surgery was successful, and doctors cleared the pope for travel two weeks after the operation. While in Uruguay earlier in the tour, Leo cited his recent health experiences to advocate for universal healthcare access.
The itinerary includes visits to several regions of Peru. In Pucallpa, located in the Amazon, the pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass and address issues affecting Indigenous communities, including illegal gold mining and coca leaf cultivation. He is also scheduled to visit Cusco, the former Inca capital, and Chiclayo. On Thursday, he is expected to deliver a speech from the cathedral square in Lima.
This visit involves the first sitting pope to hold dual citizenship in the United States and Peru, and the first to have voted in a U.S. election, which Leo stated he did by mail for the Chicago midterms. For the Catholic population in Peru, the event represents a localized connection to the papacy due to Leo’s history living and working in the country. The scale of the public response is indicated by the 3 million people reported by the Vatican to have lined the streets of Lima.
Peruvians in specific regions will see activity related to the visit through the weekend. In the northern city of Chiclayo, where Leo previously served as bishop, and in the Amazonian city of Pucallpa, the pontiff's presence draws attention to local environmental and social conditions. Indigenous groups in the Amazon are described as being affected by the intersection of extreme poverty and the environmental impact of illegal mining and drug-crop cultivation. These communities will see their local concerns addressed in a formal Mass and papal address.
The visit also serves as a public test of the pope's physical recovery following his cancer diagnosis and lung surgery. The tour is scheduled to continue through Friday, when the pope arrives in Chiclayo, followed by events in Cusco and the Amazonian region. The Vatican has not yet reported further details on his long-term treatment plan following the tour's conclusion.