Vatican City: Pope Leo made an unexpected and warmly received appearance at a fraternal lunch hosted by the bishops of Peru in Rome, a gesture the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference described as a powerful sign of pastoral closeness and ecclesial unity.
According to a message shared on the official X account of the Bishops’ Conference, the Pope’s unannounced participation deeply moved the bishops, who said the encounter reflected “a gesture of closeness and communion that strengthens the pastoral mission of the Church in Peru.” The informal meeting took place while the bishops are in Rome for their ad limina apostolorum visit.
The Peruvian episcopate is currently undertaking its scheduled ad limina visit from January 26 to 31, a periodic obligation that brings bishops to Rome to pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and to meet the Successor of Peter. Bishops representing all 46 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Peru are taking part in the visit and are set to be received in formal audience by Pope Leo on January 30.
Reflecting on the significance of the visit, Bishop Carlos García Camader of Lurín, President of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, said the bishops had come to Rome with prayers not only for the Church but also for the nation’s future. “We are here to pray for peace and for the future of Peru, so that this visit may strengthen us and encourage us in faith to serve others more effectively,” he said.
Bishop García Camader also voiced hope for responsible and unifying leadership in the country. He prayed that Peru’s future leaders would be men and women committed to serving the nation, promoting the common good, and fostering unity rather than division. “We pray for leaders who know how to add and bring people together, not subtract or divide,” he added.
As a sign of devotion and gratitude, the bishops presented Pope Leo with a mosaic of the Blessed Virgin Mary and an image of Saint Rose of Lima, Peru’s patron saint. The gifts are to be blessed by the Pope and installed in the Vatican Gardens on Saturday, January 31, symbolizing Peru’s deep Marian faith and its enduring bond with the universal Church.
The current ad limina visit marks a continuation of a long tradition of communion between the Peruvian Church and the Holy See. The bishops of Peru last carried out such visits in May 2017 during the pontificate of Pope Francis, and earlier in May 2009 under Pope Benedict XVI.