World Church · November 14, 2026
Pope Leo XIV highlights Peruvian saints and blessed during apostolic visit
Pope Leo XIV cited numerous saints and blessed individuals from Peru during his apostolic journey to Latin America, noting their role in shaping the country's cultural, human, and spiritual identity. Many of these figures are depicted in the logo accompanying the pontiff's visit. The Pope described this heritage as a collection of figures capable of opening the heart to evangelization and a missionary impulse that prioritized charity toward the needy.
In his first address in the capital Lima, delivered at the Gran Teatro Nacional to authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps, the Pope recalled Saint Rose of Lima. She was the first person from the New World to be canonized and serves as the patroness of Peru, all of Latin America, the Indies, and the Philippines. Born in 1586 as the tenth of thirteen children to the Flores de Oliva, a noble Spanish family transplanted to the country, she created a shelter for the needy in her maternal home. There, she assisted abandoned children and the elderly, particularly those of indigenous origin. Although she wished to consecrate herself to God from a young age, she remained a virgin in the world. As a Dominican tertiary, she confined herself to a small cell of a few square meters built in the family garden, where she spent most of her days praying for the conversion of the Spanish and the evangelization of the indigenous people. She is attributed with various mortifications and corporal punishments, as well as numerous conversions and miracles. She died on August 23, 1617, and was canonized in 1671.
Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, one of the most known and loved saints in Peru and Latin America, was a key reference point for the Peruvian stage of the journey, starting from the meeting with the bishops. The Pope, a former Augustinian missionary in Peru, had always shown deep devotion to this saint of Spanish origin. He served as Bishop of Lima for 25 years, from the late 1500s to the early 1600s. An expert in law and moved by apostolic zeal, he visited his vast diocese multiple times, often on foot, to care for his flock. He used synods to eliminate abuses and scandals in the clergy, catechized and converted indigenous people, and founded about one hundred parishes. He also convened a pan-American council, two provincial councils, and twelve diocesan synods. When the plague arrived in Peru, he placed himself at the forefront among the sick, donating everything he had to them. He died during one of his travels in Saña in 1606. Pope Benedict XIII canonized him in 1726, and Saint John Paul II proclaimed him the patron of the Latin American episcopate in 1983.
The Pope also invoked the figure of Francisco Solano, the patron saint of the city and numerous other American locations, from Santiago in Chile to Havana in Cuba. Born in Montilla, Spain, in 1549, he joined the Order of Friars Minor Franciscans at age twenty. In 1589, he departed for South America with the desire to evangelize indigenous populations. After a long and difficult journey, he reached Tucumán in present-day Argentina, where he conducted intense missionary activity for eight years. He learned several indigenous languages, including Quechua, Guarani, and Tonokoté, to communicate directly with local populations. Tradition attributes numerous miracles and healings to him, earning him the title of thaumaturge of the New World. In 1598, he was transferred to Peru, where he continued his evangelization work in Trujillo and Lima, focusing on preaching and assisting the poor and sick. He died in the capital on July 14, 1610, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII on December 27, 1726.
Saint Martin de Porres, canonized by Saint John XXIII on May 6, 1962, was also remembered by the Pope. Born in Lima on December 9, 1579, he faced difficulties due to his status as an illegitimate and mixed-race child. He was accepted into the Dominican Order as a tertiary and learned the art of medicine. As a cooperator brother of the Order, he practiced medicine with great dedication for the poor of the Peruvian capital. Devoted to fasting, penance, and prayer, he led a life marked by simplicity, humility, and love. He died in Lima on November 3, 1639, and is considered the patron of barbers and hairdressers.
During his meeting with the bishops of Peru, the Pope also cited the example of Saint Juan Macias, born on March 2, 1585, in Ribera de Fresno, Spain. Under the spiritual guidance of Saint John the Evangelist, he left for Lima around the age of thirty, where he settled and worked as a shepherd and herdsman. In 1622, he entered the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Maddalena as a cooperator brother and took his vows the following year. He was then entrusted with the role of porter, which allowed him to dedicate himself entirely to assisting the poor. His biography notes a friendship with Saint Martin de Porres, with whom he shared the commitment to serving the most needy. He died in the Peruvian capital on September 16, 1645, and was canonized by Saint Paul VI on September 28, 1975.