The visit of Leo XIV to Peru, scheduled for the first half of November though still awaiting official confirmation from the Holy See, is beginning to take shape with a marked ecclesial backdrop. According to various sources consulted by The Pillar, the Pope has decided that Chiclayo, the diocese he led between 2015 and 2023, will have a far greater prominence than Lima, a decision that coincides with the ongoing process for the future succession in the archdiocese of the capital and with the complex moment the Peruvian Church is experiencing.
Although it had already been reported that Leo XIV wished to return to Chiclayo, the sources now reveal that the Pontiff will remain there for three or four full days, while Lima will be reduced practically to the beginning and the end of the trip, thus avoiding the visit being centered on the country’s primatial see.
Chiclayo will be the heart of the journey
The president of Peru, José María Balcázar, had already announced after meeting with Leo XIV at the Vatican that the Pontiff wished to travel to the country during the first half of November and visit several cities, including Chiclayo, where he carried out a significant part of his episcopal ministry.
According to the preparations currently under way, the Pope will also travel to Cusco and Pucallpa, in addition to holding various events in the metropolitan area of Lima. In the capital, a large Eucharistic celebration is planned at the Las Palmas air base, the same place where Pope Francis presided over Mass during his apostolic journey in 2018, as well as a meeting with civil authorities.
During his stay in Chiclayo, Leo XIV could also visit communities in northern Peru, including majority indigenous populations, resuming contact with a region where he left a deep pastoral mark.
The succession in Lima remains pending
The design of the trip coincides with another matter of great importance for the Peruvian Church: the future succession of Cardinal Carlos Castillo, Archbishop of Lima since 2019, who has already exceeded the canonical retirement age.
The Apostolic Nunciature is said to have begun gathering consultations on possible candidates, although the change is not expected to take place before the papal visit. Among the names mentioned are Auxiliary Bishop of Cusco and Secretary General of CELAM, Msgr. Lizardo Estrada; Archbishop of Arequipa, Msgr. Javier del Río; Bishop of Tacna and Moquegua, Msgr. Marco Cortez; Bishop of Callao, Msgr. Luis Alberto Barrera; and the current Bishop of Chiclayo, Msgr. Edinson Farfán.
It appears that the lesser prominence planned for Lima also responds to the Pope’s desire to focus the trip on his return to Chiclayo and not on the circumstances currently surrounding the Archdiocese of Lima.
A Church marked by several open fronts
Leo XIV’s visit will also take place at a particularly delicate moment for the Peruvian Church. In addition to the imminent succession in the Archdiocese of Lima, there is the need to heal several wounds that have marked the country’s ecclesial life in recent years, from the suppression of the Sodalicio of Christian Life to various abuse cases still present in the memory of the faithful.
Among them, the so-called Chiclayo case stands out, which InfoVaticana has reported on extensively. This Tuesday, the death of Ricardo Yesquén was reported, one of the priests accused of alleged abuse before then-Bishop Robert Prevost, without ever having been investigated either canonically or in civil jurisdiction. The other priest accused in the same case, Eleuterio “Lute” Vásquez, was reduced to the lay state without a canonical penal process being held that would have allowed the facts to be clarified.
This is compounded by the recent acceptance by Leo XIV of the resignation of Antonio Santarsiero from the governance of the Diocese of Huacho, after this media outlet brought to light the allegations of alleged abuse against the prelate. With the see now vacant, the succession adds to the numerous episcopal movements currently facing the Peruvian Church.
In this context, the Pope’s return will not only have a profound personal significance as he returns to the diocese where he carried out a significant part of his episcopal ministry. It will also inevitably be accompanied by situations that continue to demand truth, justice, and credibility.
Peru already has a hymn for the Pope’s visit
Preparations for the trip are also advancing on the pastoral front. The song “León, hermano del camino”, composed by Jaime Montoya and performed by the Aguchita Choir, was chosen as the official hymn of the apostolic visit after winning the national contest “León de la Esperanza,” organized by the National Institute of Radio and Television of Peru (IRTP) together with the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
After the result was announced, Cardinal Carlos Castillo revealed that he had sent the composition to Leo XIV, who responded with a brief message of congratulations to its authors: “Congratulations to the winners, a very beautiful song.” The work will accompany the preparatory events of a visit that the Peruvian Church awaits with great anticipation.
Pending the official announcement from the Holy See, everything indicates that the November trip will be marked both by Leo XIV’s return to the diocese where he left a deep pastoral mark and by the complex ecclesial scenario he will encounter in Peru, with the succession in Lima still pending and several challenges that will continue to demand the Pontiff’s attention.