Pope Leo Draws Record Crowds In Peru

Pope Leo Draws Record Crowds on Homecoming Visit to Peru PERU Peru Pope Leo XIV arrived this week for an official visit to Peru and was greeted by a record crowd of an estimated three million people who turned out on the streets of Lima to welcome him home. The six-day visit, which included a welcome by President Keiko Fujimori, will include stops in Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, where the pope is to meet Indigenous communities and celebrate Mass. Signs across the city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023, read “Welcome home.” Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, the pontiff spent more than two decades in Peru as a missionary and church leader. He was elected pope in May 2025, after the death of Pope Francis. The 71-year-old became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 and also holds US citizenship. He is the first pope with citizenship in both countries and the second with South American citizenship, after Pope Francis of Argentina. His visit has drawn enormous public attention, with millions turning out to welcome him, and his speeches are closely watched, including one this week “on the challenges and hopes for the future of the Peruvian people.” Many in Peru are hoping that his visit will focus attention on the country's poverty, crime and political instability. Peru marks the final destination of Leo's three-country South American tour, which also included Uruguay and Argentina.