Leo XIV in Peru: from Callao to the Palacio, a return home

On 11 November Leo XIV began the Peruvian leg of his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. According to the Holy See Press Office Bulletin, the Aerolíneas Argentinas aircraft landed at 5:01 p.m. local time (11:01 p.m. in Rome) at the Base Aérea del Callao (Grupo Aéreo N.° 8 of the Peruvian Air Force), earlier than the time indicated in the official programme.

At the foot of the stairs the Pope was welcomed by the President of the Republic, H.E. Ms. Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Carlos Espá, and the Commander General of Air Wing No. 2, Julio César Gutiérrez Gonzales. Two children offered him flowers. After a brief private meeting in the VIP lounge, the President took leave of the Holy Father, who transferred “by car and open car” to the Palacio de Gobierno for the welcome ceremony.

At the Palacio de Gobierno: the anthems and the visit to the President

Leo XIV arrived at the Palacio de Gobierno at 6:56 p.m. (12:56 a.m. in Rome). To welcome him, the Bulletin reports, “local authorities estimated the presence of approximately three million people.” Welcomed by the President, the Pope walked the red carpet for the customary honours: a greeting to the commander of the guard, honours to the flag, military honours and twenty-one chimes of the bells. He and the President then turned towards the Patio de Honor, where a youth choir performed the national anthems.

After the presentation of the delegations, at 7:09 p.m. (1:09 a.m. in Rome) the Holy Father and the President went to the Salón de Embajadores for a private meeting, the exchange of gifts and the presentation of the family. Before leaving the Palace, Leo XIV greeted the fourteen wives of the Peruvian ministers and, in the Gran Comedor, offered a brief impromptu greeting to the staff. “It is a joy, as you can perhaps imagine, for me to be able to return to Peru after a few years and to visit all of you,” he said, according to the official Italian text. “First, because I feel at home. Second, or perhaps in reverse order, because as Pope I come to walk with all men and women of good will.” He pointed to “the spirit of community, the spirit of unity” of the Peruvian people and imparted his blessing.

At 7:57 p.m. the Pope left by car for the Gran Teatro Nacional.

At the Gran Teatro Nacional: “I am also returning to my homeland”

At 8:30 p.m. (2:30 a.m. in Rome) the meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps took place. The Holy Father, welcomed again by the President, reached the stage. After two songs from the Peruvian tradition — Hanacpachap cussicuinin and a Baroque villancico from Lima — and the President’s address, Leo XIV delivered his own.

“This return visit holds a very special meaning for me,” he said. His history with Peru, he explained, began “long before the Lord entrusted me with the Diocese of Chiclayo.” For years he had shared in the lives of its people, “listened to their concerns, and learned from their faith”; many opened their homes to him, shared their table — “and, of course, some good ceviche” — and made him feel like one of their own. In 2015 he received Peruvian citizenship. Today, he added, he understands “how much of this land remains with me and how much of my own story also belongs to you.”

Then came the line that marked the evening: “If I were granted the chance to relive those years, I would do so with joy, embracing both their happy moments and their difficulties. That is why I can tell you, with deep gratitude, that I am also returning to my homeland.”

From personal memory the Pope turned to the life of the country. “The unity of a people is strengthened when these differences find their place.” He spoke of communal work, of families helping one another, of hospitality, and addressed those who hold public office: politics, he recalled in the words of Francis, “is a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good.” Institutions, he added, “provide channels through which these differences can find expression”; “public decisions also affect those who live far from the places where they are made, and this should never be forgotten.”

According to Vatican News, a chant then rose in the hall: “El Papa es peruano.” Those present then watched a traditional marinera, “Que viva Chiclayo.” At the end the President took leave of the Holy Father, who transferred to the Apostolic Nunciature.

From the balcony of the Nunciature: “Buenas noches Perú”

From the Nunciature Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony to greet those who had stayed to wait for him. The Bulletin gives the original Spanish text: “¡Muy buenas noches Lima! ¡Buenas noches Perú! Pues no tengo palabras para agradecer esta acogida tan calurosa, por haber vuelto hoy a mi casa.” He thanked them for their prayers, pointed to the dove in front of the Nunciature, “a sign of peace,” and asked them to pray “for peace in the world, for peace in every country,” so as to be “builders of unity, promoters of reconciliation.” With a smile he added that the celebration could go on a little longer, but not all night: some neighbours, with windows on that side, “want to sleep and want a little peace.” Then the Our Father, the blessing and a “¡Hasta mañana!”

The first evening in Peru thus ended among the crowds estimated by the authorities, the anthems at the Palacio, and that word, spoken twice in different ways: he had come home.

Sources: Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 11 November 2026, B0902 and B0903; address and greeting to the staff of the Palacio de Gobierno, vatican.va; Vatican News.