More than 50,000 young people gathered at the Estadio Nacional in Lima to await Pope Leo XIV during his apostolic visit to Peru.
The Thursday evening gathering brought together youth groups, diocesan delegations, and attendees from across the country for a multi-hour prayer vigil featuring music, traditional dances, and personal testimonies.
Leo XIV told the crowd, “Somebody told me that Peru lacks a sign of hope. Well, today, here in the National Stadium, you are the sign of hope,” according to El País. The event also drew an estimated 60,000 people inside the stadium according to Junno Arocho Esteves, while local authorities indicated that another 300,000 individuals followed the proceedings from the surrounding areas, as noted by Omnes.
Among those present in the stands were attendees holding banners with requests ranging from marriage blessings to prayers for loved ones, alongside signs reading “Pope Leo, I am not afraid of marriage, but pray that the right one comes along,” as reported by El País.
Testimonies and the Call to Passion
Before delivering his address, the pontiff listened to three young Peruvians share personal accounts of isolation, grief, and finding direction through faith, as reported by Omnes. Among them was Joao Meza, an 18-year-old medical student from Lima’s Lince district, who described struggling with a sense of isolation and difficult personal challenges.
Additional testimony came from Emily Milagros, a coordinator for youth ministry in the diocese of Carabayllo, and Sister Luzbinda Ramos Zurita, an Ursuline missionary, as detailed by Fides. In his opening remarks, the Pope greeted the archdiocese and surrounding areas, shouting, ¡Buenas noches Lima!, ¡el Callao!, ¡Carabayllo!, ¡Estarán de Lurín y Chosica! according to La Abeja.
Drawing on the Gospel of Saint John, the Pope addressed the crowd about facing suffering and discerning life choices without fear. He encouraged attendees to embrace their aspirations and reject the notion that following spiritual paths requires sacrificing personal fulfillment.
Leo told the assembly, “Be passionate about everything that is worthwhile. Cultivate talents. Discover the richness of your culture,” as documented by El País. Cardinal Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Archbishop of Lima, also addressed the gathering, at one point recalling two young demonstrators, Inti Sotelo and Bryan Pintado, who died during the political protests of November 2020, describing them as martyrs of police repression according to El País.
The event’s proceedings began with opening remarks from Cardinal Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lima, who welcomed the pontiff under the thematic motto “And the Word became young and dwelt among us”. The invocation drew participants from diverse regions, including a delegation of young people from Ica organized by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Diocese of Ica, who traveled to the capital to take part in the gathering.
The program also featured accounts from individuals such as Emily, who transitioned to serving as a catechist, and Sister Luzbinda Ramos Zurita of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate of the Order of Saint Ursula, who shared her experience of overcoming a silent depression following the sudden death of her mother.
Addressing the assembled youth, the Pope invoked the words of Pope Benedict XVI from December 8, 2005, reminding them that “evil always poisons”, and urged them to recognize Jesus as the friend who leaves an enduring mark of friendship. The ceremony concluded with the recitation of the prayer “Jesus, I trust in You” led across the stadium.
Limas Celebrations and Return to Chiclayo
The event included light displays from mobile phones and plastic candles illuminating the stands, alongside cultural performances. Volunteers wearing yellow shirts coordinated dances along the aisles, including participants like 29-year-old Félix Silva from Lima, who spent weeks rehearsing to the national anthem, as reported by Omnes.
During the gathering, a brief exchange involving a rosary thrown toward the popemobile captured widespread attention on social media after the pontiff caught the item in midair before returning it with a precise toss, according to La Voz del Interior.
The Lima vigil formed part of a broader itinerary across Peru for the 71-year-old pontiff, who previously spent two decades serving as a missionary and as the Bishop of Chiclayo from 2014 until 2023, as detailed by La Nación.
Following his engagements in Lima, the Pope traveled onward to Chiclayo—a city of 700,000 inhabitants on Peru’s northern Pacific coast—to continue his scheduled pastoral visits, where residents such as Julie Albujar turned out to welcome him back.
The return to Chiclayo marked an emotional homecoming for the pontiff, who was chosen as Pope on May 8, 2025, and famously mentioned the city in Spanish from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Residents of Chiclayo, including Julie Albujar and her sister who awoke before dawn to assist with the collection at the Mass site, celebrated the arrival of their former pastor, who served as bishop from 2015 to 2023 before being called to Rome by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican dicastery for bishops.