MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pope Leo XIV set to visit Peru later in 2026, bishops say, as planning advances

Peru’s Catholic bishops say preparations are under way for Pope Leo XIV to travel to Peru in November or the first week of December, a trip that would take the first U.S.-born pontiff back to a country where he served as a bishop and later obtained Peruvian citizenship.

Bishop Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, told a press briefing in Lima it was “very probable” the visit would take place in that window, putting the chances at “80%.” He said Leo had repeatedly expressed a desire to return.

The Vatican has not published a final schedule, but the push reflects Leo’s unusual personal history in Peru. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, he spent decades in the country as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop in Chiclayo. Residents in northern Peru remember him for hands-on pastoral work—driving to flooded areas, supporting relief efforts during crises, and keeping close ties with local clergy and parishioners.

Momentum for the trip has grown after a high-profile series of meetings in Rome. The pope received Peru’s bishops during their “ad limina” visit and, according to Vatican sources, highlighted his bond with the country. Vatican News reported Leo told them that Peru holds “a special place” in his heart, recalling shared “joys and hardships” and the faith of ordinary Peruvians.

The visit preparations also featured symbolic gestures: a Marian mosaic and an image of St. Rose of Lima—presented by the Peruvian delegation—were installed in the Vatican Gardens during a ceremony that Peruvian church leaders cast as a sign of continuity between Leo’s past ministry and his new global role.

Peru’s foreign ministry has publicly cited an expectation that any papal trip could take place toward the end of 2026, potentially after Peru’s April 2026 general election, adding a political-calendar constraint to the Vatican’s complex travel planning.

Leo has floated the idea of a broader Latin America itinerary—mentioning Peru, Argentina and Uruguay—as part of travel plans still taking shape early in his pontificate. For Peru, bishops and officials frame the potential visit as both a major pastoral event and a rare moment of international attention around a pope widely seen domestically as “Peruvian by vocation,” after years of ministry and formal naturalization.