welcomed a group of Peruvians to Rome on Monday as they arrived to take part in the Jubilee of Youth.
Leo XIV —who also holds Peruvian citizenship after spending over 20 years in the South American country as a missionary and later as Bishop of Chiclayo— acknowledged the "great sacrifices and efforts (you have undertaken) to make this long-awaited journey to Rome possible."
"All of you will have the beautiful experience of feeling part of the People of God, part of the universal Church, which spans and embraces the whole earth, without distinction of race, language, or nation—spreading like the mustard seed and leavening like yeast," Robert Prevost said.
The Supreme Pontiff urged the young Peruvians to "always keep in your hearts everything you experience during these days—but don’t keep it only for yourselves."
"When you return to Peru, flood your land with the joy and strength of the Gospel, with the Good News of Jesus Christ," he added.
"The backpacks that will accompany you during these days, carrying only the essentials, are a sign of the mission the Pope entrusts to you today: be missionaries wherever you go, be a reflection of the Lord’s presence, just as our beloved Peruvian saints were," Leo XIV concluded.