León XIV traveled into a remote town in the middle of the Andes and called for a fight against justice

CHICLAYO.– As he used to do in his days as bishop of this vast diocese marked by poverty, Pope Leo boarded a helicopter this Saturday to fly to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, a remote Andean village in Cajamarca, at more than two thousand meters above sea level. There he celebrated a second mass before a huge crowd in which, in his usual firm but serene tone, he called to "open our eyes to the many painful situations that surround us" and spoke of injustice. The "Chiclayano" Pope mentioned "the suffering of those forced to leave their homeland to seek a better future, for themselves and their loved ones, in the big cities of the coast; or the difficulties of generational turnover linked to the low birth rate phenomenon, which empties out the villages; or the challenge of the equitable distribution of the benefits derived from the resources of the land." Pope Leo XIV greets the crowd during a mass on the esplanade of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, in the Cajamarca region, Peru ALFREDO ESTRELLA - AFP "In the face of 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," he warned, before some 20,000 people who camped and slept outdoors, in freezing temperatures, in order to be there. He was thus alluding to Peru's violent past, deeply marked by the presence of left-wing guerrilla groups such as Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), which were harshly repressed by the regime of the late former president Alberto Fujimori, who was convicted of crimes against humanity. Recalling the parable of the widow in the Gospel, Pope Leo—who knows the Peruvian reality like no one else, having also been a missionary in this land—emphasized that "selfishness, injustice and evil are not overcome with brutality, but with prayer, with patience, with perseverance in denouncing what is not right, asking forcefully and working diligently so that the necessary changes may take place, without ever losing trust in God." The memory of his time as bishop The Pope arrived in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba after a 40-minute flight in a Peruvian air force helicopter. The village is only 100 kilometers from the city of Chiclayo, a journey that takes 4 hours along a tortuous mountain road. Robert Prevost, known here as "don Roberto," who according to his biographies loves to drive, would travel these routes by truck wherever there was a road. And where there was none, he would get on a horse, to bring the message of Jesus to everyone, something he recalled in his homily. "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," he said at the beginning. "We find ourselves in the western cordillera of the Peruvian Andes, in the Province of Santa Cruz in Cajamarca, among steep hills, ravines and fertile valleys, in a land of Andean roots, where the Inca Empire flourished, and cradle of a deep Christian faith," he noted. "Many of you have traveled long distances to be here. Some have come from farming communities, leaving behind families, small farms and occupations. The road you have traveled, besides being a journey along difficult routes, is a pilgrimage of faith. Each step and each effort, in fact, expresses a single desire: to encounter Jesus," he continued. Pope Leo XIV looks out the window of a Peruvian Air Force helicopter before landing in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, in the Cajamarca region, Peru SIMONE RISOLUTI - VATICAN MEDIA Before arriving at the mass, the Pope stopped at the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, home to the Lord of the Side (Señor del Costado), an image venerated here. Its parish priest recounted that when Pope Francis called Bishop Prevost to Rome, he promised to return. A promise he kept, but as Pope. Leo paused in prayer before the Señor del Costado and then greeted and blessed some disabled persons. Speaking with journalists, Father Kevin Noriega, who was ordained bishop by Prevost, recalled that when he was bishop in this corner of the world—between 2015 and 2023—"whenever there was a feast, in this case that of the Señor del Costado, he was present, whether for confirmations or some pastoral visit he had." "He would either come with the driver who brought him, but generally he liked to drive. We all know the Pope's fondness for cars. He drove everywhere," he recalled. What was he like as a bishop? "I believe he is still the same, even as Pope. Close to people, a good listener, someone who knows how to reach people," he affirmed. Pope Leo XIV arrives to preside over a mass in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Peru Andrew Medichini - AP On the eighth day of his marathon trip to Latin America, which had earlier taken him to Uruguay and Argentina, the Pope's day—gray and humidly warm—began very early in the morning. In another event marked by Chiclayo fervor, at eight o'clock (ten o'clock in Argentina) he presided over the rite of the coronation of the image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in the Cathedral Square, packed with people. When he arrived at this place, the heart of the city, there was once again an outburst of euphoria. "Pope, friend, Chiclayo is with you!", "Chiclayo is, the heart of the Pope! Chiclayo is, the heart of the Pope!" and "Pope Leo, we love you so much!" were the cries of the crowd. "With a heart full of joy, I give thanks to God for being here today with you, celebrating our faith together, as we have done so many times in this cathedral, which has witnessed the first steps of my episcopal ministry, in the service of this Diocese of Chiclayo," he recalled, drawing applause. "With feelings of gratitude for the years the Lord granted us to walk together, I now prepare, as Successor of Peter, to carry out the coronation of our beautiful image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary," he continued. Faithful attend a mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Peru Andrew Medichini - AP "This gesture has a special meaning, for the crown that I will place upon the head of Our Lady seeks to symbolize the homage of gratitude and filial love that the Pope renders to her, together with you and with the whole Church, recognizing her as the solicitous Mother and Protectress of Chiclayo, exalted by God as Queen of Heaven and earth," he explained. Then, reflecting on the reading from Isaiah heard during the rite, he stressed that "even today the darkness continues to lurk and seems to envelop us completely." "We feel threatened by the uncertainty of violence that is spreading, by the unspeakable suffering that continues to strike so many brothers and sisters," he lamented. "But despite that darkness, which so often obscures our hope and weakens our trust, God's gift continues to shine before our eyes," he said, reiterating a message of hope. Pope Leo XIV blesses the faithful at the end of a mass in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Peru Andrew Medichini - AP Addressing the Immaculate Virgin, the Augustinian pope and missionary once again had words of gratitude for this city. "At your side I learned to be the shepherd of Chiclayo. You accompanied me through its villages and towns, taught me to meet its people and to be attentive to their needs, as you did at the Wedding Feast of Cana." "To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry as Successor of Peter. I also ask you to care for and protect the People of God who make their pilgrimage in these lands, and to always guide them toward your Son Jesus Christ," he urged.