ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Square in front of the Cathedral (Lima)
Thursday, 12 November 2026
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Dear brothers and sisters, my beloved Peruvian people, good morning!
Thank you for being here and welcoming me with open hearts, as your brother and companion on the journey. You make me feel at home. Thank you. During these days, I wish to walk among you as John the Baptist did, bearing witness to the Light that enlightens everyone: Jesus Christ, the Son of God (cf. Jn 1:6-9). Let us listen to the Teacher, who is venerated in a special way in this land under the title of the Lord of Miracles, and welcome what he wishes to say to Peru in these days.
The challenges you have mentioned cannot be addressed in isolation, because the family, cultural diversity, the world of work and the condition of women are all part of the same human reality and are deeply interdependent. The Church’s social doctrine offers us elements for understanding this reality: at the center of every social, economic and political organization must be the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, endowed with infinite dignity and called to live in relationship with others. On this basis, the personal, familial and social good come together as one reality.
The centrality of human dignity is the foundation for other essential principles that should guide personal, family, business and institutional decisions, such as the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity.
Human life does not begin in a vacuum. It is born of the love between a man and a woman who, giving themselves to one another, open themselves to the gift of a new life. A child is the fruit of this communion, not a product, and from the very beginning bears within the mark of the relationship of origin. This most fragile beginning is nurtured in the mother’s womb, the first place of welcome, where the initial bond becomes closeness and protection. According to the Creator’s plan, the human person is conceived and grows within this web of relationships. Thus, the dignity of nascent life finds its proper place in the family.
Enlightened by the Gospel and in harmony with the human sciences, the Church’s Tradition affirms that the family is the first natural society, with rights of its own. This means that the family precedes every written law. The law’s role is simply to recognize and protect it, while public institutions must support the family, not replace it (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 214).
Certainly, as you have said, cultural changes have altered the traditional roles of men and women, who seek to develop new attitudes and ways of life in the family and in society, sometimes by mistaken paths (cf. Aparecida Document, 49). This situation calls us to assert with even greater conviction that God created the human person male and female (cf. Gen 1:27). It is in this union alone that reciprocity and complementarity are expressed, giving rise to fatherhood and motherhood, filiation and fraternity, and everyone’s commitment to a better society.
Nevertheless, living the truth of our identities as male and female does not justify an unequal sharing of domestic responsibilities or the subordination of one spouse to the other. We must continue working to harmonize the roles of men and women in families and affirm that both share the responsibility for building the future of society.
Our faith offers us an understanding of the human person that helps us overcome the tensions that arise when we examine new cultural trends. Christian love teaches us that to love is to serve God and neighbor. This perspective brings out the deeper meaning of being fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, grandchildren or grandparents, fostering dialogue, patience, kindness, forgiveness and mutual service (cf. 1 Cor 13). Deepening our understanding of this is a rich source of spirituality in the home.
Each member of the family is called to contribute, in an original and creative way, the gifts and talents he or she has received. No one is exempt from caring for others, showing gestures of closeness and affection, working responsibly, listening patiently and teaching by example. In this regard, I would like to draw attention to the many mothers who often suffer and feel alone, having to face numerous difficulties in raising their children so that they grow up healthy and become good men and women. I want to offer special thanks to these women — mothers, aunts and grandmothers — who pass on faith and sure hope to future generations with great courage through the example of their lives.
We also know that many families are wounded and divided due to economic problems or emigration. Others are harmed by the intrusion of addictions, such as gambling and betting, alcoholism and drug addiction, abuse or domestic violence. God loves all families, especially those going through crises. To them I want to say: do not give in to difficulties. Look to the example of the Holy Family. It was not easy for them to build a home either. Like many of our families, they too had to maintain their faith and trust in God amid uncertainty and hardship; they had to move to another city and work to support themselves; they had to face loneliness, pain and incomprehension. Yet they also teach us that when God is present in our family, we can grow, keep going, face problems, and stand beside the Cross sharing the joy of faith together.
Another very timely challenge you have mentioned is the impact of digital technology on the family. Recently, in the Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, I expressed how today’s technology risks replacing real human interaction, exposing family members to distractions and sometimes harmful content. In this regard, an alliance among political leaders, educational institutions and families is essential if we are to solve the problems that arise from this (cf. No. 142).
The sons and daughters of our homes are at the same time the citizens of Peru, the business owners and workers of our cities and countryside. This leads us to the world of business, which is called to be a true protagonist in building up the common good. A business is a society of persons in which capital, management and labor must be ordered toward integral human development (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 338). It is therefore necessary for legitimate authority to help business owners and workers by establishing a just legal framework and ensuring a reasonable balance among work, rest and family life. Fostering stability through sound human and economic relationships within families is a shared responsibility.
When we become aware of this vital interdependence, we discover that the common good is the joint achievement of a greater good (cf. Magnifica Humanitas, 62), so that the wealth and resources of society are not directed exclusively toward the benefit of a few, but contribute to the development of all (cf. ibid., 65).
Within this interdependence, education is a practical instrument for putting principles into practice. Educating our children today in a way that is consistent with their dignity guarantees an honest society tomorrow. In this regard, a State strengthens the foundations of a just and peaceful society when it promotes a social policy centered on the equal dignity of persons, supports families, guarantees an educational policy for the human and intellectual formation of students and pursues a labor policy that protects both the dignity of work and private initiative (cf. ibid., 168).
The centrality of human dignity also sheds light on how we understand cultural diversity. Peru is a beautiful country precisely because of its cultural, linguistic, historical and regional plurality. As we sing in a Creole waltz: “Rich mountains, beautiful lands; smiling beaches, fertile fields; snow-capped peaks, rivers and ravines — this is my Peru!” Differences foster encounter and mutual enrichment. It is precisely because we are different that we create “common-unity” — community.
Nevertheless, as in all human coexistence, historical wounds and mistrust sometimes make it difficult to understand one another. We cannot accept expressions or behaviors that classify, offend or judge people on the basis of their appearance, origin or social condition, under the pretext of certain jokes or popular slang. Along with disarming our language by giving up hurtful words (cf. Message for Lent, 5 February 2026), we must also disarm our attitudes.
Aggressive attitudes are disarmed through meekness. Jesus himself tells us: “Learn from me; for I am meek and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). This virtue is not weakness but an inner strength that moderates anger and resentment, transforming them into patience, dialogue and a readiness for reconciliation. Jesus showed meekness in its fullest form during his Passion, when he did not respond to insults with violence or threats. Let us pray that in the empire of the sun, intipa imperion, we may reflect that light, which is Christ, the “dawn from on high” (Lk 1:78).
In this context, how can we fail to remember Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, who spread the Gospel without imposition among diverse peoples speaking different languages, who faced the challenge of peaceful coexistence, unity and communion in Christ?
Cultural diversity can become an instrument of peacemaking when we begin to recognize those who are different as brothers and sisters deserving of respect. Unity in diversity is the work of the Holy Spirit and, at the same time, something we must cultivate and strengthen in order to be signs of unity in Christ (cf. Acts 2). The Catholic Church embraces the whole world within her fold and at the same time takes on the character of each place (cf. Magnifica Humanitas, 26). She speaks every language (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermon 268), as the Catecismo Limense demonstrated.
Recognition of human dignity also requires that we effectively promote the presence, respect and participation of women. Their contribution to every sphere of society and the Church is indispensable. It is sad to see that machismo persists, manifested in the absence of fathers from family life, in abuse and violence against women. This mentality disregards the newness of Christianity, which recognizes and proclaims that men and women possess equal dignity and responsibility (cf. Benedict XVI, Inaugural Address to the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2007).
Women living in poverty or belonging to Indigenous and Afro-American communities are liable to suffer a double marginalization (cf. Aparecida Document, 454). For this reason, it pains us to see that violence against women — who could be our grandmothers, mothers, sisters or daughters — continues to be a reality that wounds all of humanity.
I would like to renew an ardent appeal, not only to my brothers and sisters in the faith but to every man and woman of good will: let us value women! Let us protect and respect girls! (cf. Magnifica Humanitas, 57).
The Church values the richness, talents and particular sensitivity of women, whose outstanding model is the Virgin Mary, “the New Woman and perfect Christian... summing up the most characteristic situations in the life of a woman” (Saint Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, 36). Indeed, the Gospel presents her as a free and strong woman, always oriented toward authentic discipleship as she accompanied the Church in her mission (cf. Aparecida Document, 266).
Dear brothers, dear sisters, the family, the business world, cultural diversity and the role of women thus converge in one and the same requirement: to build a society in which every person can live with dignity and contribute to the good of all. Just structures are necessary, but they are not enough. We also need hearts that are honest in seeking the common good, so as to overcome corruption, violence and individualism (cf. Magnifica Humanitas, 169).
As missionary disciples of Jesus Christ, let us make our homes schools of fraternity; our businesses communities of dignified work and social responsibility; our cultural differences opportunities for encounter; and our institutions places where women and men can participate and contribute to the common good. In this way, we can move toward a just society in which the dignity of every person is the foundation of true peace. Thank you.
After the Address:
Thank you very much! Now, sisters and brothers, I invite you to pray together with the same words that Jesus Christ taught us. Our Father…
[Blessing]
May God bless Peru!