Pope Leo XIV speaks on community 'suffering' on visit to remote Andes
During a visit to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba in northern Peru, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the suffering caused by migration and unequal resource distribution, noting that tens of thousands gathered for an outdoor Mass despite high poverty rates in Cajamarca. The pontiff connected the village’s decline and emptying population to broader regional challenges, while urging resilience and faith among locals who traveled long distances to see him. The trip, the longest leg of his Latin America tour, underscores his personal ties to Peru, where he lived and became a citizen, and signals a broader focus on rural communities and migration. After Peru, his itinerary continues to Cusco and parts of the Amazon before returning to Rome. Momentum from the visit is tempered by persistent social and economic strains facing the region.
Dive Deeper:
Pope Leo XIV spoke at an outdoor Mass in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, addressing the ‘suffering’ of people who leave their homeland seeking better futures and the threats faced by communities left behind.
The town, with about 6,000 residents, drew an estimated crowd of around 20,000, illustrating strong local engagement despite widespread poverty in the Cajamarca region—over 40% of residents live in poverty, the highest rate in Peru.
Cajamarca has experienced large internal migration, with about 729,000 people born there now living elsewhere in Peru, contributing to rural decline and demographic shifts.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly bishop of Chiclayo, traveled by helicopter and later toured in a popemobile, receiving cheers from locals who had traveled across the region to greet him.
In his sermon, he thanked the visitors for the journey and urged perseverance, framing the visit as a meaningful homecoming given his long-standing ties to Peru, including years of residence and naturalization in 2015.
Local clergy, including Rev. Kevin Noriega, described the visit as bringing enormous hope and emotion to Santa Cruz, with worshippers eager to participate in Mass and see their former bishop now as the Holy Father.
The trip is part of a 12-day Latin America tour, the longest stop so far, with remaining stops in Cusco and areas of the Amazon before returning to Rome.