Source: Reuters
Pope Leo was greeted by the largest crowd of his papacy in an emotional return to Peru on Wednesday, declaring the South American country where he served as a missionary for two decades his homeland.
The huge crowds, estimated at 3 million by local officials, pressed against police and security barriers, waving balloons and flags and chanting “Leo, Leo, Leo.” The pope was all smiles as he toured in an open-air popemobile and waved energetically on the final leg of his three-country, 12-day trip.
In a closely watched speech to President Keiko Fujimori shortly after being greeted in Lima, the first Peruvian citizen to lead the Catholic Church urged the president to build confidence among her people after her narrow election victory earlier this year, and alluded to the contested legacy of her father, the late former President Alberto Fujimori.
“This return visit holds a very special meaning for me,” the pope said at Lima’s Gran Teatro Nacional, mentioning many friendships made in his 20 years in the country and his love for a national dish, ceviche.
“Today I understand how much of this land remains with me and how much of my own story also belongs to you,” he said. “I can tell you, with deep gratitude, that I am returning to my homeland.”
