During a meeting held at the Vatican on Monday, the
to pay a pastoral visit to the Andean country, expressing "the Peruvian people's deep affection and closeness" toward the Holy Father and thanking him for keeping a special place in his heart for Peru.
After taking part in the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, a CEP delegation, led by its chairman and Bishop of Lurin, Monsignor Carlos Garcia Camader, met with His Holiness at the Vatican on June 30.
During the audience, the bishops extended an official invitation for a pastoral visit to Peru, where Robert Prevost had served for four decades in the northern regions of Piura, Lambayeque, and La Libertad, as well as in the Constitutional Province of Callao.
Following his election as successor to Francis on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV greeted his "beloved Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru" from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, highlighting the people's faithfulness and support for their bishop —a symbol of his close ties with the South American country.
In the CEP's letter, Monsignor Garcia expressed, on behalf of all the bishops and the Peruvian people, "the deep affection and closeness toward the Holy Father, thanking him for keeping a special place in his heart for Peru, a country he had served pastorally for many years before being elected Successor of Peter."
Hope, faith, and communion
"Your presence will renew our people's hope, strengthen the faith of our communities, and be a beautiful sign of communion with the universal Church," reads the CEP's letter.
The Peruvian delegation was made up of Bishops Luis Alberto Barrera (Callao and second vice chair of the CEP), Antonio Santarsiero (Huacho and secretary general of the CEP), Pedro Bustamante (Huanuco), Marco Antonio Cortez (Tacna and Moquegua), and Cesar Augusto Huerta (Sicuani).
The group also included Ricardo Garcia, Prelate of Yauyos; Lizardo Estrada, Auxiliary Bishop of Cusco and Secretary General of CELAM; Raul Chau, Auxiliary Bishop of Arequipa; Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Archbishop Emeritus of Huancayo; Alfredo Vizcarra, Archbishop of Trujillo; Juan Carlos Asqui, Auxiliary Bishop of Tacna and Moquegua; and Father Guillermo Inca, Deputy Secretary General of the CEP.
