Pope Leo returns to Peru, stresses ‘everyday peace’

Pope Leo XIV spoke to authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in his first public address at the “Gran Teatro Nacional” in Lima on November 11, after travelling that morning from Argentina.

“This return visit holds a very special meaning for me,” he explained, adding that his connection to Peru began long before he was the bishop of Chiclayo. “For years, I shared in the lives of its people, listened to their concerns and learned from their faith,” the Pope shared.

Returning to Peru now as the Successor of Peter, the Pope noted that his years in the country helped form him as a shepherd. He expressed gratitude for his time in Peru and for the opportunity to return.

He stressed that “to love a people is to desire that everyone may live with dignity among them, to take an interest in them and to be willing to offer something of oneself for their good.” He said he understands that idea better thanks to the people of Peru.

Concern for others is embodied in public service and democratic life that can bring people of different beliefs and goals together, united through a “shared national destiny”, he said.

The Pope touched on a range of topics including listening, peace, health services and the environment.

Providing for one’s family makes up a part of an “everyday peace”, he said. Each job plays a role in the life of the country and each has a dignity that should be recognised.

The Pope said there are certain goods that cannot be replaced by economic prosperity: “peace of conscience, the certainty of being loved and the freedom to seek the truth and to guide one’s life according to it”.

Peace has a concreate meaning for families, the Pope explained: going to work without being afraid, caring for one’s children and returning home with a peace of mind. No one should be deprived of these “simple aspirations”.

In his final Mass in Argentina at Lujan on November 11, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to undertake a journey of “reconciliation, enlightenment through the word of God, communion and being sent forth on mission”, mirroring the journey “we experience in the celebration of every Eucharist”.

He also visited a federal penitentiary in Buenos Aires and urged inmates to transform their lives through the limitations and privations they face in prison.

During his four-day visit to Argentina, Pope Leo celebrated an open-air Mass at the Monumento a los Españoles on November 9, which the Vatican said drew 2.5 million people. During his time in Argentina, the Pope also met abuse victims.

FULL STORY

Pope in Peru: ‘Distance does not necessarily diminish love for one’s homeland’ (Vatican News)

Pope invites Argentina to reconciliation, enlightenment, communion, mission (Vatican News)

Pope to prisoners in Argentina: Human person flourishes through limitations (Vatican News)

Pope draws 2.5 million to Mass in Argentina and tells people with disabilities they are a blessing (National Catholic Reporter)

Pope Leo XIV meets with abuse victims in Argentina (Vatican News)

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Pope: Human dignity must always prevail over profit (Vatican News)