Pope Leo XIV Begins Peru Homecoming After Mass Celebrations in Argentina

For Pope Leo XIV, Peru is more than another stop on an overseas journey. He spent roughly two decades there as a missionary and bishop and became a citizen, according to The New York Times. His arrival on November 11 brought him back to a country central to his life before the papacy.

He came from Argentina, where mass celebrations accompanied pointed messages about public life. ARD Tagesschau reported that Leo criticised President Milei's social policies during a visit in which millions celebrated him.

Before leaving Argentina on November 11, Leo visited Devoto Prison, which has a dark history connected to the military dictatorship. He told inmates there was always hope for redemption and reconciliation, according to Hereford Times.

He then celebrated his final Argentine Mass at the sanctuary of Luján. ABC reported that his farewell message called for national reconciliation after years of polarisation.

The crowd estimates differed. RTBF reported more than two million people at Luján, while South China Morning Post cited authorities putting attendance above three million. Both accounts described an immense gathering for the final day of his visit.

President Javier Milei became visibly emotional as he said goodbye to Leo, Al Jazeera reported. The pope arrived in Peru later on November 11 to begin a six-day visit, according to Infobae.

Crowds lined his arrival route in Lima, though estimates again varied. Renascença reported nearly two million people along the road from the airport to the Government Palace; Deutsche Welle reported an estimated three million welcoming him in Lima. Leo described Peru as his homeland, according to CBS.

Leo also met President Keiko Fujimori at the Government Palace, Expresso reported. The meeting carried a historical complication: The New York Times reported that he had protested her father's policies during his years in Peru.

By November 12, Leo had begun the Peru leg with both a public celebration and an appeal to political leaders for understanding, according to Deutschlandfunk. The visit brings his personal ties to the country into contact with its current political life.

The welcome also comes amid changes in religious affiliation. NYT World News reported that evangelical churches are challenging Catholic dominance, with many Peruvians seeking a more expressive and direct connection to God. The crowds greeting Leo do not erase that wider shift.

The remaining itinerary includes Cuzco and travel to the Amazon, according to La Repubblica. Those stops will take the visit beyond the capital during the six-day homecoming.

The other issue is how Leo develops his appeal for political understanding. His opening message in Peru follows explicit criticism of social policy in Argentina, but the supplied coverage does not yet show what practical response his appeals will receive.