PERU: Charity highlights Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral legacy in Peru

Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has paid tribute to the new Pope’s decades-long ministry in Peru, describing him as a leader of “great pastoral sensitivity” and “missionary spirit”.

Luis Vildoso, ACN project coordinator for Latin America, said that the charity’s collaboration with the former Bishop of Chiclayo was “very close and friendly” – and “a great joy and a blessing”.

He added: “During his episcopal ministry in Chiclayo and in Callao, now Pope Leo XIV always showed great pastoral sensitivity and apostolic zeal.”

Mr Vildoso explained that ACN projects involving then Bishop Robert Prevost included assistance for “the formation of seminarians” and support for priests and religious – as well as “faith formation programmes for the laity” and “the construction of pastoral support centres and the repair of chapels”.

He added: “These projects bear witness to his missionary spirit, and his efforts to bring the Church closer to the faithful and to the people.”

The future pope’s ministry in Latin America began in 1985 in the Augustinian Vicariate of Chulucanas, spanning a large area from the Andes to the Amazon – with ACN backing multiple pastoral projects to support isolated communities.

Mr Vildoso said that the challenges faced by the Church in Peru remain significant, including a shortage of clergy – just 3,000 priests serving over 30 million faithful – and vast geographic obstacles that hinder pastoral outreach.

He added that in some remote regions, such as the Amazon basin, the Church is the only organisation offering hope.

ACN opened an office in Peru in April 2024, strengthening the Church’s presence in the country, especially on the growing urban peripheries where rapid migration from rural areas continues.

Mr Vildoso said that the charity “did not only collaborate with [the Pope] when he was bishop in Peru, but also in his role as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America”.

He added that Pope Leo XIV knows ACN’s “mission well”.

He concluded: “As a pontifical foundation we have renewed our commitment to being a bridge of love that allows the Church to continue to announce the Gospel, especially where it faces persecution or material needs that are an obstacle to evangelisation.”