Follow-Up: Pope Leo XIV Gives First Public Address in Peru at Lima's National Theatre: "I Am Also Returning to My Homeland"
Pope Leo XIV met Peru's authorities, civil society representatives and the diplomatic corps at the Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima, the Peruvian capital, on the evening of November 11 and delivered his first public address after arriving in Peru. The Holy See Press Office said the meeting took place at 8:30 p.m. local time, with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori present alongside political and religious leaders, businesspeople, cultural representatives and foreign diplomats.
Earlier that evening, the Pope arrived at the Government Palace at 6:56 p.m. for the welcome ceremony, and Peruvian authorities estimated that about three million people turned out to welcome him. After the ceremony, the Pope held a private meeting with President Fujimori and exchanged gifts before travelling to the National Theatre. Two traditional Peruvian songs were performed before the meeting, President Fujimori spoke first, the Pope then delivered his address, and a traditional Peruvian dance followed.
In his address, the Pope recalled his ties to Peru. He said the return held a very special meaning for him and that his story with Peru began long before he was entrusted with the Diocese of Chiclayo: for years he shared in the lives of its people, listened to their concerns and learned from their faith, and Peruvians welcomed him into their homes, shared their tables and some good ceviche with him, and made him feel like one of their own. He received Peruvian citizenship in 2015. "I am also returning to my homeland," he said.
Speaking of Peruvians who live abroad, the Pope said the image of the Lord of Miracles continues to bring Peruvians together in faraway cities as a way of preserving their ties with their homeland, and that he himself had seen Rome dressed in purple. "Distance does not necessarily diminish one's love for one's homeland; sometimes it allows us to recognize more clearly how much we have received from it," he said.
The Pope also said that to love a people means to desire that everyone can live with dignity among them, to take an interest in their well-being and to be willing to offer something of oneself for their good. He encouraged Peru to continue contributing to regional and international cooperation and fostering understanding, and said: "May we never give up seeking ways to alleviate the suffering of peoples and advance toward peace."
Peru is the third and final leg of the Pope's November 6 to 17 journey to South America, which also took him to Uruguay and Argentina. He served in Peru for years as a missionary and was Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. After the meeting at the National Theatre, the Pope travelled by car to the Apostolic Nunciature.
(Source: Holy See Press Office)
Source: Holy See Press Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：教宗良十四世（资料图）。Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Pope Leo XIV (file photo). Photo by Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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