Esplanade of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba (Santa Cruz de Succhabamba)
Saturday, November 14, 2026
____________________________________
Spontaneous greeting to faithful gathered in the Parish of the Immaculate in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba
Sisters and Brothers:
With how much joy, once again, I meet you here in Santa Cruz. It is like a very great dream that the Lord has allowed: that a servant arrives here, also in this pastoral visit to the Diocese of Chiclayo and to all Peru. I am very happy to be able to find all of you, the crossboards and those who have come from further afield.
The Lord, in Baptism, calls us all to be His missionary disciples. From the smallest to the largest. People who suffer from illness and for other reasons also give us a beautiful testimony of their faith, with their faithfulness and prayer. You too are part of the Church; we want to be close to you. We invite you to pray for one another, for a servant, for all the people who need God’s help. And that way we are always united. May we all walk together as God’s people, children of God, children of the same Father. Congratulations to all; I give the blessing and I will greet a few because, as you know, we then have the celebration of Holy Mass.
The Lord is with you.
(Apostolic Blessing)
______________________
Dear brothers and sisters, welcome to this celebration and thank Santa Cruz for this welcome!
“This is the day the Lord made: let us rejoice and rejoice in him” (Ps 117:24). In this Eucharist I come, as I have done so many times, to share with you my joy as a disciple and missionary of Christ. We are in Santa Cruz, we are in the Department of Cajamarca, we are in this mountain range of the Peruvian Andes, with these beautiful hills, with ravines, its fertile valleys, in a land of Andean roots, where the Inca Empire flourished, and the birthplace of a deep Christian faith. Many of you have traveled long distances to be here. Some have come from peasant communities, leaving families, farms and occupations. The path they have traveled, in addition to being a journey through difficult routes, is a pilgrimage of faith. Every step and effort, in fact, expresses a single desire. The only desire is this: to find Jesus, here venerated, in Santa Cruz, with the image of the Lord of the Side, have come to meet Christ, listening to his Word, to receive his Body and Blood and, nourished with that food, to strengthen in hope.
The first reading, taken from the third letter of the Apostle John (cf. 3 Jn 1.5-8), collects part of the recommendations addressed to a Christian named Gayo. After underlining his well-known benevolence, he is asked to take care of the traveling missionaries and be provided with what is necessary for the journey, remembering that, by the name of Christ, “they have gone out without accepting anything from the pagans” (vv. 7). The same wonder was repeated, five centuries ago, among these mountains, silent witnesses of the birth of the first Christian communities, for the work of missionaries who came, repeatedly, without provisions or recommendations, to announce the name of Jesus and the love of the Lord of the Miracles of Andabamba and his Immaculate Mother.
With the arrival of the first evangelizers, from Toribio de Mogrovejo to the Martyrs of Chimbote, the seed of the Gospel in these lands has never ceased to germinate and to bear fruit, in a discreet way, far from the applause and great recognitions. Thus, faith in the Andes has grown simple and genuine, founded on the daily experience of evangelical values and expressed in traditions and festivals that unite peoples and generations, to become a character and a lifestyle in which no one ever feels alone, not even in the face of adversities. We can say that the cordiality and joy that characterize so many Andean regions have their root in respect and love for the commandments of the Lord (cf. Psalm 111:1), and reflect “a thirst of God that only the poor and simple can know” (S. Paul VI, Exhort. Ap. Evangelii nuntiandi, 48). That is why Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, spoke of popular piety as a powerful force of evangelization, in which “the faith received was embodied in a culture and continues to be transmitted” (n. 123). She values essential things like earth, honest work, family, and offers a healthy antidote to superficiality and consumerism, today so widespread.
I wish, therefore, to remember with gratitude the many priests, religious and religious missionaries who, over the centuries, have striven generously and dedicatedly to spread the Kingdom of God among these hills. Our prayer of thanksgiving is also raised by the catechists who, not without sacrifices, in the absence of priests, often care for the communities, guiding the brothers and sisters in the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word, preparing them for the sacraments, visiting the sick and attending to various needs. Let us pray in a special way for those whom the Lord has already called Himself, whose memory remains alive in the communities. Without them, evangelization would have been very difficult in these remote regions. Let us thank the Lord for so many lay people engaged in different ways in the missionary proclamation, both here and in the world.
In the Gospel (cf. Lk 18:1-8) we have heard Jesus speak of a widow – a symbol of social fragility and dependence – in the cultural context of the time. Helpless and oppressed, the poor woman asked for justice with insistence from a judge, who, without fear of God or respect for men, remained indifferent to her pleas. Only thanks to his perseverance did he obtain justice.
In Jesus’ words, the parable reminds us, first of all, how important it is to pray without ever getting discouraged. But it is also an invitation to open your eyes to so many painful situations that surround us. The supplication that the widow addresses to the judge – “To do me justice before my adversary” (v. 3)—resounds unfortunately still today, ignored, on the lips of so many men and so many women. This is a matter of great concern, both for the Church and for society. Think, for example, of these places, of the suffering of those who are forced to leave their homeland to seek a better future, for themselves and for their own, in the great cities of the coast; or in the difficulties of generational relief linked to the phenomenon of low birth, which empty the peoples; or in the challenge of the equitable distribution of the benefits derived from the resources of the land.
In the face of so many difficulties, one may be tempted to yield to discouragement, resentment or even violence, but this will never be the path of progress and peace. The widow of the parable shows us that selfishness, injustice and evil are not overcome with brutality, but with prayer, with patience, with perseverance in denouncing what is not right, asking with strength and working hard for the necessary changes to be made, never losing confidence in God. Then, as it happens at the top of Cerro Cotorumi, across the cross you see the sky.
What sustains the tenacity of the woman of the Gospel is faith, as the question that concludes the account of Jesus indicates: “The Son of man, when he comes, will he find faith on earth?” (v. 8). There is a close link between faith, prayer and action. Where there is faith, there is prayer, and where there is prayer, there is capacity for commitment for others. You, inhabitants of these lands, know it well. Despite many difficulties, you have never lost confidence in God or, with your help, in yourself. It is faith that makes them great in their aspirations and in their projects. In this regard, I would like to commend those who, with ingenuity and entrepreneurship, strive to give decent work to people: peasants, merchants, small entrepreneurs and so many others who here, day after day, employ the talents received in favor of the communities, contributing to promote, through employment, authentic models of integral human development (cf. Letter enc. Magnificent humanites, 181).
Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord knows the paths you walk, the fatigues, the worries, the challenges you face; understand the hope of the young, inspire the wisdom of the elders, and do not abandon them. When the soul wanders without destiny, He is the way. When strength is lacking, He is the food. When discouragement arises, it is He who rekindles hope. Let us ask the Immaculate Conception not to stop protecting us under his mantle and that the Eucharist we celebrate renews in all of us faith, strengthening commitment and dedication. And may the Lord of the Side, venerated with such devotion here in Santa Cruz, bless you, protect you and always inspire you thoughts and gestures of unity, charity and peace.