"In this Eucharist, I come, as I have done so many times, to share with you my joy as a disciple and missionary of Christ," Pope Leo XIV said emotionally in his homily during the Mass he celebrated today before a large crowd at the esplanade in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba district, Cajamarca region, on Saturday.
The celebration took place on the fourth day of his apostolic visit to Peru.
Before approximately 100,000 faithful, including residents of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba and other towns in Cajamarca, as well as people from other regions of Peru and even neighboring countries, the Holy Father thanked the parishioners for their warm welcome.
Likewise, he highlighted the fact that many had traveled long distances to accompany him and take part in this Eucharistic celebration.
"Many of you have traveled long distances to be here. Some have come from farming communities, leaving behind families, farms, and occupations. The journey you have made, in addition to taking you along difficult routes, is a pilgrimage of faith," Leo XIV said.
"Indeed, every step and every effort express a single desire: to encounter Jesus, venerated here in the image of the Lord of the Side, to hear His word, receive His body and blood, and, nourished by this food, grow stronger in hope," the Vicar of Christ underscored.
Below is the homily delivered by the Supreme Pontiff during the Holy Mass he celebrated at the esplanade of the Pampa de Aviación (now officially renamed Pampa de Aviación León XIV) in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba district.
Dear brothers and sisters:
Welcome to this celebration, and thank you to Santa Cruz for its warm welcome.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. In this Eucharist, I come, as I have done so many times, to share with you my joy as a disciple and missionary of Christ.
We are here in Santa Cruz, Cajamarca region, in this mountain range of the Peruvian Andes, with its beautiful hills, ravines, and fertile valleys, in a land of Andean roots, where the Inca Empire flourished and which is the birthplace of a profound Christian faith.
Many of you have traveled long distances to be here. Some have come from farming communities, leaving behind families, farms, and occupations.
The journey you have made, in addition to taking you along difficult routes, is a pilgrimage of faith. Indeed, every step and every effort express a single desire.
This is your one desire: to encounter Jesus, who is venerated here in Santa Cruz through the image of the Lord of the Side. You have come to encounter Christ by listening to His word, receiving His body and blood, and, nourished by this food, growing stronger in hope.
The first reading, taken from the Third Letter of the Apostle St. John, contains some of the recommendations addressed to a Christian named Gaius.
After highlighting his well-known benevolence, he is asked to care for traveling missionaries and provide them with what they need for their journey, recalling that, for the sake of Christ's name, they have set out without accepting anything from the pagans.
The same miracle was repeated five centuries ago among these mountains, silent witnesses to the birth of the first Christian communities, through the work of missionaries who came time and again, without provisions or letters of recommendation, to proclaim the name of Jesus and the love of the Lord of Miracles of Andabamba and His Immaculate Mother.
With the arrival of the first evangelizers, from Toribio de Mogrovejo to the martyrs of Chimbote, the seed of the Gospel in these lands has never ceased to germinate and bear fruit, quietly, far from applause and widespread recognition.
Thus, faith in the Andes has grown in a simple and genuine way, grounded in the daily practice of Gospel values and expressed through traditions and celebrations that unite communities and generations, becoming a defining trait and a way of life in which no one ever feels alone, not even in the face of adversity.
We can say that the warmth and joy that characterize so many Andean regions are rooted in respect for and love of the Lord's commandments, and reflect a thirst for God that only the poor and the humble can know.
That is why Pope Francis, in Evangelii gaudium, spoke of popular piety as a powerful force for evangelization, in which the faith received has become embodied in a culture and continues to be passed down.
It values essential things such as the land, honest work, and family; likewise, it offers a healthy antidote to superficiality and consumerism, which are so widespread today.
For this reason, I wish to gratefully remember the many missionary priests, religious men and women who, throughout the centuries, have worked with generosity and dedication to spread the Kingdom of God among these communities.
Our prayer of thanksgiving also rises for the catechists who, not without making sacrifices, often provide pastoral care to communities in the absence of priests, guiding their brothers and sisters in the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word, preparing them for the sacraments, visiting the sick, and attending to various needs.
Let us pray especially for those whom the Lord has already called to Himself, whose memory remains alive in the communities.
Without them, evangelization would have been very difficult in these remote regions. Let us give thanks to the Lord for the many laypeople who are committed in various ways to proclaiming the Gospel, both here and throughout the world.
In the Gospel, we heard Jesus speak of a widow—a symbol of social vulnerability and dependence in the cultural context of the time. Defenseless and oppressed, the poor woman persistently sought justice from a judge who, having no fear of God or respect for others, remained indifferent to her pleas. Only through her perseverance did she finally obtain justice.
According to Jesus' words, the parable reminds us, above all, of how important it is to pray without ever becoming discouraged. But it is also an invitation to open our eyes to the many painful situations around us.
The widow's plea to the judge—"Grant me justice against my adversary!"—unfortunately still goes unheard today on the lips of so many men and women.
This is a matter of great concern for both the Church and society.
Let us think, for example, of the suffering of those in these areas who are forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future for themselves and their families in the large coastal cities; of the difficulties in ensuring generational renewal due to low birth rates, which are emptying towns and villages; and of the challenge of ensuring the equitable distribution of the benefits derived from the land's resources.
Faced with so many difficulties, one may be tempted to give in to discouragement, resentment, or even violence, but this will never be the path to progress and peace.
The widow in the parable shows us that selfishness, injustice, and evil are not overcome through brutality, but through prayer, patience, and perseverance in denouncing what is wrong, earnestly seeking and working diligently to bring about the necessary changes, without ever losing trust in God.
Then, as happens at the summit of Cerro Cotorumi, through the cross, we can see the sky.
What sustains the woman's perseverance in the Gospel is faith, as indicated by the question with which Jesus concludes the story: "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
There is a close link between faith, prayer, and action. Where there is faith, there is prayer, and where there is prayer, there is the capacity to commit oneself to others. You, the people of these lands, know this well.
Despite many difficulties, you have never lost your trust in God or, with His help, in yourselves. It is faith that makes you great in your aspirations and projects.
In this regard, I would like to commend those who, with ingenuity and an entrepreneurial spirit, strive to provide people with decent work: farmers, merchants, small business owners, and so many others who, here, day after day, put their God-given talents to work for the benefit of their communities, helping to promote genuine models of comprehensive human development through employment.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord knows the paths you travel, the hardships, the concerns, and the challenges you face. He understands the hopes of young people, inspires the wisdom of the elderly, and never abandons you.
When the soul wanders aimlessly, He is the way. When strength is lacking, He is the food. When discouragement arises, He is the one who rekindles hope.
Let us ask the Immaculate Conception to continue protecting us under her mantle, and may the Eucharist we celebrate renew the faith in all of us, strengthening our commitment and dedication. And may the Lord of the Side, venerated with such devotion here in Santa Cruz, bless you, protect you, and always inspire thoughts and gestures of unity, charity, and peace.
Before Holy Mass, the Bishop of Rome visited Immaculate Conception Parish, where he was received by parish priest Wildor Cubas Julca. He then bowed before the cross that guards the Blessed Sacrament and Christ of the Side's image housed in the Catholic church.
He then delivered a message to a group of faithful gathered in the church and approached a group of elderly faithful with physical disabilities who were waiting there to greet them warmly.
Publicado: 14/11/2026