Vatican Report | Thursday evening, 12 November 2026

Day 7 of the Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the first spent entirely in Lima: Leo XIV met the bishops of Peru, prayed Midday Prayer in the Cathedral with clergy and synodal teams, addressed the Peruvian people in the Plaza de Armas, listened to six abuse survivors at the Nunciature and in the evening led the prayer vigil with young people and university students at the National Stadium. 🕊️ With the bishops: "But God is great" Leaving the Nunciature at 9 a.m. local time (3 p.m. in Rome), the Pope crossed Lima by car and open car, passing the Shrine of Las Nazarenas and the Municipal Palace, where he received the key to the city. In the chapel of the Archbishop's Palace, thanking the bishops also for their prayers for his recovery, he said: "Some of you know that there were those 'Thomases' who said, 'He will not come;' 'He won't be able to.' But God is great, and his grace is greater than all of us." He recalled that in 2018, in that same place, he sat among them listening to Pope Francis, and he spoke about the abuses perpetrated by members of the clergy or within the Church: "We must respond as Jesus would, with truth, justice, forgiveness, making amends and an ever more resolute commitment to fostering a culture of prevention and protection for the weakest in light of such crimes." And: "The Church does not belong to us; it belongs to Christ." The first of his three closing invitations: "do not stop walking with this people" (Holy See Press Office Bulletin). ⛪ Midday Prayer in the Cathedral At 10.30 a.m. local time (4.30 p.m. in Rome), in the Cathedral Basilica, with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, synodal teams and pastoral councils, the Pope said Peru needs "a Church that sows love, capable of building bridges where others raise walls", also ready "to acknowledge its own infidelities and humbly ask forgiveness". His conclusion: "let us all unite, today and always, in the great symphony of communion whose conductor is Christ." 🇵🇪 In the Plaza de Armas, Peru's challenges and hopes At 11.24 a.m. local time (5.24 p.m. in Rome) the Pope arrived in the Plaza de Armas, where some 40,000 people were present according to local authorities. After testimonies on the family, on cultural diversity, from a Peruvian woman and from a businessman, he said that a child "is the fruit of this communion, not a product" (our translation), urged: "Along with disarming our language by giving up hurtful words, we must also disarm our attitudes", deplored the persistence of a machista mentality and made an appeal: "Let us value women! Let us protect and respect girls!" (Vatican News). For "just structures are necessary, but they are not enough. Honest hearts are also needed" (our translation). He sang "Contigo Perú" with the crowd (TV Perú footage); after the blessing he returned to the Nunciature, where he met privately with members of the Augustinian Order. 🤝 Six abuse survivors, more than an hour at the Nunciature Just after 4.30 p.m. local time (10.30 p.m. in Rome), the Pope met for just over an hour with six survivors of abuse by members of the clergy and ecclesiastical institutions in Peru, some of whom had previously belonged to groups linked to the Sodalitium of Christian Life, the movement dissolved by the Holy See in 2024. According to the Holy See Press Office, after a brief greeting in the chapel he met each of them individually, listening to their stories of suffering and pain, and reflected with them "on how to foster a change in mindset through listening to victims, seeking the truth, supporting healing processes, and committing to the creation of safe environments" (Vatican News). 🎉 The vigil with young people at the National Stadium At 6 p.m. local time (midnight in Rome) the Pope entered the National Stadium in the popemobile amid chants of "¡Bienvenido a casa Papa León!" and "la juventud del Papa": according to Vatican News, some 60,000 young people were inside and about 300,000 outside. After the greeting of Cardinal Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, a portrayal of Peru's five saints and the testimonies of Joao, Emily and Sister Luzbinda, the Pope gave the young three words, passion, vocation and friendship: "Do not settle for living according to what others expect of you. God created you capable of doing a good that no one else will be able to accomplish in exactly the same way" (our translation). "Be passionate about everything that is worthwhile, about what is true, good and beautiful," he said, quoting Benedict XVI: "Evil is always poisonous" (text shared by CatholicSat). He entrusted them with a missionary mandate, because "a gesture of friendship can change the course of a life" (our translation). The vigil ended with the blessing at around 1.55 a.m. Rome time, followed by a private dinner with the bishops. Full article on the vigil: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-to-the-young-people-of-lima-do-not-settle-for-living-according-to-what-others-expe-3434?lang=en 📰 From the Holy See In the 12 November Bulletin, besides the reports and texts of the journey: Bishop Martin Boucar Tine, S.S.S., until now Bishop of Kaolack, was appointed Bishop of Thiès (Senegal), and Fr Enrico Valentino Parry Bishop of Keimoes-Upington (South Africa). In Argentina, debate continued over the farewell message posted and then deleted by the @Pontifex_es account, with a sentence about "two Popes" that does not appear in the official text of the thanksgiving at Luján (B0900): according to journalist Nelson Castro (El Trece), it was the Pope himself who asked for it to be removed; the Holy See has given no official explanation. 📅 Friday 13 November The Pope leaves Lima for Chiclayo, the diocese he led as bishop: departure from Callao at 1.40 p.m. Rome time (7.40 a.m. local) and arrival at Chiclayo Air Base at 3.10 p.m. At 4.30 p.m., Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel; at 6.40 p.m., a private visit to the Chapel of Saint Óscar A. Romero; at 10.30 p.m., the meeting with bishops, clergy, religious, seminarians, synodal teams and pastoral councils at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, and at 11.45 p.m. the meeting with the university world at the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University (official programme, Rome time). Photo: Vatican Media via @CatholicSat