Pope Leo XIV prayed for an end to Peru’s violence on Saturday during a pastoral visit to his former diocese, traveling by helicopter to a mountain community in the region.
The pontiff entrusted his pontificate to the Virgin Mary at Chiclayo’s Cathedral of St. Mary before flying to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, located 2,035 meters above sea level. The journey highlights his long-standing approach of visiting outlying parishes.
Formerly known as Robert Prevost, Leo served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 to 2023. Local clergy recalled how he frequently drove himself to remote villages in his pickup truck.
“We all know the pope's love of cars,” the Rev. Kevin Noriega, who oversees pastoral services, said.
Inside the cathedral, Leo addressed rising crime driven by political instability. Official data shows homicides nearly doubled over five years from 5.8 to 10.7 per 100,000 residents, while extortion reports climbed from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025.
“We feel threatened by the uncertainty of widespread violence and by the unspeakable suffering that continues to afflict so many of our brothers and sisters,” Leo said in the cathedral, according to ABC News.
Fujimori Fights Crime Through States of Emergency and Regional Coalitions
Keiko Fujimori took office in July with a platform centered on combating crime. Her administration has since declared states of emergency in Lima and in prisons housing inmates tied to criminal syndicates.
Fujimori also aligned Peru with the “Shield of the Americas,” a U.S.-led regional coalition conducting joint military operations against drug cartels. Beyond urban crime, the nation struggles with illegal gold mining and remains the world’s second-largest producer of coca leaves behind Colombia, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Addressing the mountain community in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Leo cautioned against meeting brutality with brutality.
“Selfishness, injustice and evil are not overcome by brutality, but by prayer, patience and perseverance in denouncing what is wrong, by making our pleas with determination and working diligently to bring about the necessary changes,” he said.
Indigenous Communities Demand Restitution of Ancestral Lands
Indigenous community representatives met with officials in Chiclayo to address the loss of ancestral lands. They accuse companies tied to the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae of using opaque land-titling and lawsuits to evict farmers in Catacaos.
Pope Francis suppressed the Sodalitium last year prior to his death, but villagers argue the movement retains economic influence. Tania Pariona, secretary of Peru’s National Human Rights Commission, praised a May symbolic reparation ceremony held by Peru’s Catholic hierarchy.
“They demand the restitution of their lands, the right to their territory, and protection for those who defend that territory; for our brothers who also suffered sexual abuse by the Sodalicio, we demand that same justice — that same reparation,” Pariona said.
Leo is scheduled to meet with Amazonian and Indigenous leaders on Sunday to discuss further regional concerns.
