Christian World | Pope Leo XIV told Peru's bishops in Lima on his first full day in the country to pair doctrinal clarity with pastoral closeness and to act as bridge-builders

ACW | November 12, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV urged Peru's bishops on Thursday to combine doctrinal clarity with pastoral closeness to their people, in an address in Lima on his first full day in the country, Vatican News reported.

The pope spoke in the chapel of the Archbishop's Palace in Lima. "The Church does not belong to us; it belongs to Christ," he said, according to Vatican News.

He condemned clergy sexual abuse and called for prevention and protection. He also asked the bishops to act as bridge-builders amid social and political polarization. "No Bishop should feel alone on this journey," he said.

The same day, Leo led daytime prayer at Lima's Cathedral Basilica of St John the Apostle and Evangelist for bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and pastoral councils. He urged the Church in Peru to keep spreading the Gospel, "attentive to people's lives and needs," and spoke of a peace that is "unarmed and disarming."

Background: Leo arrived in Peru on November 11 for the final leg of a Latin America trip that took him first to Uruguay and Argentina. On arrival he urged Peru's leaders to protect "everyday peace".

Why it matters: Before his election, Leo served as bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru. His address to the country's bishops on Thursday set out the Church's priorities on abuse prevention and on healing political division.

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Sources: Vatican News — Pope Leo's address to the bishops of Peru; Vatican News — Daytime prayer at Lima Cathedral

Photo: Vatican News (Vatican Media)