Pope Leo XIV arrived at the Lima-based National Stadium on Wednesday evening, where he was welcomed with cheers, applause, and numerous expressions of joy by some 52,000 young people.
They had gathered to take part in the meeting with the Supreme Pontiff as part of his six-day pastoral visit to Peru.
Aboard the Popemobile, the Holy Father made a lap of honor around the stadium.
In response, attendees enthusiastically greeted him, chanted his name, and raised their cellphones to capture his arrival, a moment that filled the stadium with joy.
Amid cheers and applause, the young people accompanied Pope Leo XIV along his route in a massive welcome that turned the sports venue into the setting for one of the most eagerly awaited events of his visit to Peru.
The sports arena was completely filled with thousands of young people, many of whom had traveled from different parts of the country as well as neighboring nations.
Young people aged 16 to 35 attended the event.
Tickets for the event were made available to the public through Teleticket and were completely free of charge.
His Holiness is carrying out a series of activities in Peru as part of his apostolic visit, which included Uruguay and Argentina as well.
The Supreme Pontiff—who also holds Peruvian citizenship—arrived in the country on Wednesday afternoon and has already taken part in various activities with political and ecclesiastical authorities, as well as members of civil society, in Lima.
According to the official schedule, the Pope is scheduled to travel to the city of Chiclayo on Friday, November 13, where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.