Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of November. File Photo by Jose Sena Goulao/EPA
June 18 (UPI) -- Peruvian President José María Balcázar confirmed Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru during the first half of November in a trip expected to last between eight and 10 days.
In interviews with local outlets RPP Noticias and TV Perú, Balcázar said the pontiff is expected to visit five cities: Lima, Piura, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa. The final itinerary remains under discussion, and visits to Puno and Iquitos have not been ruled out.
Pope Leo XIV has deep ties to Peru, where he lived for more than two decades during three different stages of his pastoral ministry. In 2015, he became a Peruvian citizen through naturalization.
That connection led him to break protocol during his first appearance at St. Peter's Basilica, when he addressed the crowd in Spanish and sent greetings to former parishioners in the Diocese of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop until 2023.
