Pope Leon XIV prepares for Peru visit with security boost and regional travel plans

Pope Leon XIV is scheduled to visit Chiclayo in Peru’s Lambayeque region in mid‑November 2026, an event expected to draw over 1.5 million pilgrims. In anticipation, the Regional Police Command of Lambayeque will deploy its full force of 4,711 officers, request an additional 500 agents from elsewhere, and secure roughly S/ 27 million for new motorcycles, patrol vehicles, protective gear and tactical equipment. The plan also involves coordination with the Peruvian Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as Vatican security.

Cardinal Carlos Castillo, speaking from Rome, urged that the papal trip remain strictly pastoral and not be used for political purposes, asking the Peruvian Church to present an agenda that highlights the country’s social challenges and cultural riches.

In Ecuador, officials in Cuenca are accelerating talks to launch direct charter flights to Chiclayo to facilitate pilgrim travel. After investing more than US$1 million in airport upgrades, the Corpac hopes to begin limited charter services before the papal arrival, pending airline interest and regulatory approvals.

Separately, the Vatican has appointed Mexican priest Leonel Báez Téllez of the Puebla Archdiocese to a five‑year posting at the Borgo Laudato si’ in Castelgandolfo, Italy, a centre dedicated to formation and ecological projects, underscoring the Pope’s broader outreach across Latin America.