Lenten campaign 2026
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When Pope Leo unexpectedly joined a simple lunch with Peru’s bishops in Rome, the gesture spoke louder than any prepared address. For the bishops, gathered for their ad limina visit, the moment became a sign of encouragement — personal, pastoral, and deeply human.
The country’s bishops described the Pope’s appearance at their “fraternal lunch” as “a gesture of closeness and communion that strengthens the pastoral mission of the Church in Peru,” according to a message shared by the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference.
The bishops are in Rome from January 26 to 31 for their traditional ad limina Apostolorum visit, during which they report on the life of the Church in Peru’s 46 ecclesiastical jurisdictions and pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul. Their formal meeting with Pope Leo in audience is January 30, but the lunch — unannounced and unscripted — offered something different: fraternity without protocol.
“It was a sign that strengthens us,” said Bishop Carlos García Camader of Lurín, president of the bishops’ conference. Speaking on behalf of his brother bishops, he explained that their time in Rome is marked by prayer “for peace and for the future of Peru,” and for renewed energy in serving the people entrusted to their care.
Pope Leo and Peru: A bond shaped by pastoral concern
As Pope, he has repeatedly highlighted the importance of social unity, care for the poor, and responsible political leadership — themes that resonate strongly in the Peruvian context.
His decision to place an image of Saint Rose of Lima in the Vatican Gardens underscores his esteem for Peru’s spiritual heritage and its contribution to the wider Church.
For Peru’s Catholics, these gestures affirm that their joys and struggles remain close to the Pope’s heart.
That prayer carries particular weight. Peru has faced ongoing social and political strain, and the bishops’ hopes naturally extend beyond ecclesial concerns. Vatican News explains how Bishop García Camader prayed that the nation’s future leaders would be men and women who serve the common good and seek unity rather than division—language that echoes Pope Leo’s consistent emphasis on dialogue and solidarity.
The last ad limina visits by Peru’s bishops took place in 2017 with Pope Francis and in 2009 with Pope Benedict XVI. This year’s visit will be remembered not only for formal meetings, but for a lunch that reminded Peru’s shepherds they are seen, welcomed, and accompanied by one of their own.
