"Happy Independence Day to all Peruvians!"
warmly and spontaneously greeted the nation on the occasion of Peru's 204th Anniversary of Independence.
The Supreme Pontiff welcomed them in Spanish to "this House of Peter," which they had reached as "pilgrims of hope."
Addressing the Peruvian youth and referring to the backpacks they carried with only the essentials, the Pope said they were a symbol of the mission he now entrusts to them: "Be missionaries wherever you go, be a reflection of the Lord's presence, just as our beloved Peruvian saints were."
"You know," His Holiness said off-script, "that Pope Francis used to speak of Peru as a 'land of saints': so many saints—not only of the past, but also of the present and those yet to come."
The Pontiff —who was born in the United States and holds Peruvian nationality— has often expressed his deep affection for Peru, where he once served as a missionary and, notably, as Bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru.
It is worth noting that during her Independence Day Address on Monday, President Dina Boluarte read a letter from Pope Leo XIV in which he extended his greetings to the country and conveyed his best wishes for fraternal coexistence among Peruvians.
"I extend to Your Excellency my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the national holiday of that beloved Nation," reads the message, as read aloud by the Head of State at Congress headquarters on Monday.
"I offer my best wishes for a fraternal coexistence among all the sons and daughters of the Peruvian people," His Holiness added.