Peruvian shamans held a ritual ceremony ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to the country. The visit is particularly significant for Peru, where Robert Prevost spent nearly two decades as a missionary and bishop and obtained Peruvian citizenship.
The ritual took place on the day the pope arrived in Argentina—the second stop on his apostolic journey through South America. Leo XIV arrived in Buenos Aires after visiting Uruguay, where he stayed from November 6 to 8.
The pope will be in Peru from November 11 to 17
Leo XIV is scheduled to arrive in Peru on November 11. He will visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, and his stay in the country will continue until November 17.
The visit to Chiclayo is expected to attract the most attention—the city whose bishop Prevost was until he was called to the Vatican in 2023. In Peru, the pope will meet with representatives of local communities, clergy and residents of the Amazon.
The motto of the Peruvian leg of the journey is “Let us open our hearts.” In Lima, the pope will speak about the challenges and hopes facing the Peruvian people, while in Pucallpa he will meet with representatives of Amazonian communities.
First papal visit to Argentina in nearly four decades
Leo XIV will remain in Argentina until November 11. He will visit Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján and meet with President Javier Milei. A Mass is scheduled to be held near the Monument to the Spaniards in the capital.
This is the first papal visit to Argentina since John Paul II’s visit in 1987. Leo XIV’s predecessor—Pope Francis, who was Argentine and a former archbishop of Buenos Aires—did not return to his homeland as head of the Catholic Church.
“The pope belongs to all Argentines. He does not belong to a political party or political camp,” said Karina Milei, the president’s sister and secretary-general of the presidency.Leo XIV’s visit to Argentina is expected to be marked by discussions about poverty and the social consequences of the government’s economic measures. The Catholic Church in the country has criticized cuts to social spending, while Milei’s government is presenting the trip as a religious visit.
After Argentina, the pope will continue on to Peru, where he will return to places connected to his missionary work and his path to leading the Catholic Church.
Sources: apnews.com, vaticannews.va, elpais.com