Pope Leo to revisit Peru on November South America tour

Pope Leo, who served as Bishop Robert Prevost in northern Peru before being appointed to the Vatican, is set to return to the country on November 6 as part of his November 6-17 South America tour. The Vatican confirmed that the itinerary remains unchanged following the pope’s recent lung cancer surgery.

During the pandemic, Prevost helped launch a soup kitchen in Zaña in 2020, providing meals to families facing food insecurity. "He gave us an example of human charity, and we prepared the 'aguadito con fe'," recalled former cook Betty Burga Campos.

After being named cardinal in 2023, he was elected pope in 2025. Regional authorities in northern Peru are refurbishing churches and preparing celebrations for his visit, which will also include stops in Uruguay and Argentina.

Local clergy highlighted his practical approach to ministry. > "He had become Peruvian, even in the way he spoke. He no longer had much of that American accent," said priest José Manuel Zamora Romero. > "The distances were not limits, the distances were opportunities," said priest David Farfán.

Prevost’s hands-on involvement during emergencies was noted, including his presence in flood-affected areas in 2023 and his mediation of a labor dispute in Chiclayo in 2015. > "He was on the front lines to bring the help that the population needed," said Rev. Jorge Villegas.

He also founded a Catholic organization in Chiclayo in 2018 to assist Venezuelan migrants, a community that now numbers more than 1.5 million in Peru. > "He put himself in the shoes of a migrant first and foremost and knew what the situation was like," said Augusto Martínez, who leads the group.

The pope’s upcoming visit has sparked local commercial activity, with souvenir vendors preparing pope-themed merchandise. Residents expressed personal enthusiasm for the trip, noting their Catholic identity and connection to the pope’s earlier work in the region.