Peru unveils giant statue of Pope Leo XIV ahead of visit

A giant statue of Pope Leo XIV has been unveiled in Callao, Peru, ahead of an upcoming visit by the pontiff, Euronews reported. The monument was revealed during a public ceremony attended by residents and visitors. Aerial footage captured the monument rising prominently above its surroundings on Peru's Pacific coast, according to reports by Euronews and NST Online. [1][9]

Euronews reported that the statue honours the pope's close ties to Peru, where he previously served as a missionary and bishop. Pope Leo XIV was previously the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and an Augustinian friar who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. [1][13]

The unveiling comes during the pontiff's tour of South America. UPI, CNN, and GMA Network reported that more than two million people attended a mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 9. According to estimates from the Buenos Aires city government cited by UPI, the gathering near the Monumento de los Españoles was the largest of his papacy so far. The Washington Post reported that the pope also delivered a veiled rebuke of austerity measures while in Argentina. [2][3][4][10]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, medical staff cleared Pope Leo XIV to undertake his travel to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to November 17, 2026, following lung cancer surgery in October. Pope Leo XIV serves as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. [11][15][16]