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Two Peruvian Bishops Die Before Pope Leo XIV's Visit
Confirmed
In Short: Two Peruvian bishops have died days before Pope Leo XIV's visit to Peru.
Pope Leo XIV, the first Latin American pope with Peruvian citizenship, departed for South America on Friday, beginning his trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.
Archbishop Alarcón Urrutia and Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, both key figures in the Peruvian church, passed away days before the pontiff's arrival.
Archbishop Estrada Herrera, who was coordinating preparations for the pope's visit to Cusco, died in his final days, leaving behind a legacy of social commitment and concern for the poor.
The Peruvian bishops' conference called for prayers for the deceased bishops, entrusting their lives to the merciful hands of the Lord of Miracles.
Pope Leo XIV postponed a session of preparations for his trip to Lima and instead called for a day of prayer, reflecting the somber mood.
The pope's visit to Peru includes stops in Lima, Chiclayo, Piura, Cusco, and Pucallpa, with a special focus on the Shrine of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo.
At the shrine, Pope Leo XIV will hold a prayer service to mark 300 years since St. Turibius' canonization, a deeply personal return for the pontiff.
Church leaders emphasize that the visit highlights Pope Leo's vision of Church leadership, urging bishops to lead with a missionary spirit and encounter their people.
The Peruvian government has declared the shrine site of national interest, adding another layer of significance to the pope's visit.
Pope Leo XIV's personal secretary, Peruvian priest Edgard Rimaycuna, will accompany him during the trip, reflecting the pope's deep ties to Peru.
What this adds
Two Peruvian bishops, Archbishop Alarcón Urrutia and Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, have passed away days before Pope Leo XIV's visit to Peru
Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru's Shrine of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo on November 14, 2026, as part of his South American tour
Background
Two Peruvian bishops, Archbishop Alarcón Urrutia and Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, have passed away days before Pope Leo XIV's visit to Peru.
Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru's Shrine of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo on November 14, 2026, as part of his South American tour.
What's confirmed
- The Peruvian bishops’ conference — in which Pope Leo served as second vice president while he was bishop of Chiclayo — called for prayers, “entrusting his life and recovery with filial confidence to the merciful hands of the Lord of Miracles” — a venerated image of the crucified Christ known as the Cristo Moreno.
- On Oct. 14, the Archdiocese of Lima postponed a session of preparations for the papal trip to the Peruvian capital and instead called for a day of prayer.
What's still developing
- From the coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the Amazon rainforest, from colonial cities to the Andes, Peru is awaiting Pope Leo XIV.
- In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, and five years later also named him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Callao.
- Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, appointed by the Pope as Coadjutor Archbishop of Cusco on August 29 and Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), spoke to the Vatican’s media outlets about his predecessor.
- An Augustinian religious originally from Apurímac, Archbishop Estrada Herrera described he considerable social commitment of his predecessor, his concern for the poorest and most vulnerable, the formation of the clergy, attention to young people, and his extensive collaboration with the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, particularly in promoting the synodal process.
- Vatican News reported the death of Archbishop Alarcón Urrutia on October 31, noting that Pope Leo had sent a message with his condolences to the deceased prelate’s family and diocesan community.
- Launched in 2013, Aleteia is a free online daily news publication.
- Rumors circulated early on that the Pope with Peruvian nationality speaks this South American language, but he hasn’t spoken it publicly since his election.
- In the photo, the pope can be seen celebrating Mass in green vestments, accompanied by one of his personal secretaries, Peruvian Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga.
- Leo holds Peruvian citizenship and is so attached to Peru's people he gave them a shoutout in Spanish from the balcony of St.
- As Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo, the future pope frequently prayed at the shrine, including before his episcopal ordination in 2014.
- In a recent letter, Pope Leo described Turibius as a fellow missionary bishop who “came from afar” and made Peru his own through pastoral service.
- The Peruvian agenda includes significant stops in Lima, the historic region of Chiclayo, Cusco, and Pucallpa, where the Pope will hold important meetings with communities of Amazonian peoples in the department of Ucayali.
Sources
- EL PAÍS English link
- Ncregister link
- Vaticannews link
- aleteia.org link
- OSV News link
- Aleteia link
- Cathstan link
- Americamagazine link
- Abc7 link
- Catholicweekly link
- Bgnes link
- Exaudi link
- Ewtnvatican link
- France24 link
- WarpBeat — background on Two Peruvian Bishops Pass Away Before Pope Leo XIV's Visit link
- WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV to Visit Peru's Shrine of St. Turibius link
- Vatican News — video link