Pope Leo XIV arrived at Callao Air Base on Wednesday beginning a six-day apostolic journey across Peru that marks his return to the country where he spent two decades as a missionary.
The pontiff touched down at 5:10 p.m. local time aboard a flight from Argentina, welcomed by President Keiko Fujimori, Foreign Minister Carlos Espá, and religious authorities, as reported by Vatican News. Thousands of citizens gathered along the route as the Pope traveled toward the historic center of Lima in the papamóvil to meet with government officials and diplomats.
The control tower greeted the arriving aircraft with a reference to Psalm 118, telling the Pope that Peru rose to welcome him as someone coming in the name of the Lord. Upon landing at the Grupo Aéreo N.° 8 terminal, he was also presented with flowers by two children while an infant choir performed.
Foreign Minister Carlos Espá said that the visit offers an opportunity to address national healing. León XIV contribuirá a la urgente necesidad de una reconciliación nacional, Espá said, according to Revista Ecclesia.
Robert Francis Prevost arrived in Peru in 1985 as an Augustinian missionary, working in Chulucanas before serving in Trujillo and later leading the Diocese of Chiclayo, according to Clarín. Reflecting on his years serving local communities, the Pope previously said that staying close to the people was essential.
“It was very important to stay by the side of the people we served,” he said, as detailed by Clarín. His earlier pastoral travels included journeys through various cities alongside future Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, during which the then-priest encouraged seminarians to strive as dedicated missionaries and brothers.
Following his election as the 267th pontiff in May 2025, he specifically mentioned his former pastoral seat during his first address from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. “my beloved diocese,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
The schedule spans Lima, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Cusco, and Pucallpa through November 16, 2026, with main liturgical celebrations set in Pimentel, Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Pucallpa, and Lima, according to Gestión. Authorities coordinated transport logistics across multiple regions, utilizing air support from the Peruvian Air Force to manage transit between coastal, Andean, and jungle locations.
The itinerary includes an eight-kilometer procession in Cusco from the airport to Sacsayhuamán along El Sol Avenue, alongside a gathering in Pucallpa where he will travel from the local Plaza de Armas to La Videnita for mass.
