Bishop Carlos Garcia Camader said Pope Leo is highly likely to visit Peru in November, estimating about an 80% chance and leaving open the possibility of the first week of December. The pope, formerly U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost, served for decades as a missionary in Peru, was ordained bishop for Chiclayo and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015. Garcia joked a stop in Chiclayo would be certain. The Peruvian bishops had recently met Vatican officials in Rome, where the pope unexpectedly invited them to lunch.
Pope Leo Likely To Return To Peru In November, Bishops Say — 80% Chance
FILE PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV attends the weekly general audience at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, January 28, 2026. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo
LIMA, Feb 4 — Bishop Carlos Garcia Camader, president of Peru's Catholic bishops, said on Wednesday that Pope Leo is likely to travel to Peru in November, placing the odds of a visit at roughly 80%. Garcia added the trip could take place in November or during the first week of December.
Leo, born Robert Prevost and formerly a U.S. cardinal, spent decades serving as a missionary in Peru. He was first ordained a bishop for the Diocese of Chiclayo in the country's northwest and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.
At a press conference in Lima, Garcia quipped that while he estimated an 80% chance of a papal visit to Peru, a stop in Chiclayo during any visit would be "100%."
Context
Garcia and most of the Peruvian bishops had been in Rome last week for a series of meetings with Vatican officials that Catholic bishops typically hold every five years. The delegation said the pope surprised them by inviting them to lunch — an unusual personal gesture.
Officials have not yet released a confirmed itinerary or official dates; further announcements are expected if plans progress.
Reporting by Reuters TV; additional reporting by Joshua McElwee; editing by Will Dunham.
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