Pope Leo returns to national party in his second homeland of Peru

Lima, Peru - Pope Leo XIV returned to his second home country of Peru on Wednesday, greeted by the nation that raised him to become a pastor. The papal visit marks the final leg of Leo's three-nation tour in South America, and is the most emotional stop of the trip, given the nearly two decades Pope Robert Prevost spent in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop.

As the first pope born of dual Peruvian and American citizenship, Leo was welcomed by President Keiko Fujimori at an air base in Lima where he touched down on a charter plane. Upon stepping out of the plane, the smiling pontiff was embraced by Fujimori and two children who presented him with flowers. Leo soon found himself enveloped by the enthusiastic crowds gathered on the tarmac, waving Peruvian and Vatican flags, before stopping to interact with a baby and listen to a children’s choir.

The joy over Pope Leo's return was palpable throughout Peru. Many expressed their excitement to welcome their beloved "Padre Robert" back to the land that shaped him.