Born in the US, the then Robert Prevost spent almost 20 years in Peru, on and off, and even has Peruvian citizenship. That time is seen as fundamental to shaping his papacy.
His schedule includes a return to the diocese of Chiclayo where he was ordained bishop in 2014 and remained until Francis moved him to the Vatican almost a decade later.
He will also travel to Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire, to say Mass more than 3,000m above sea level before heading to Pucallpa in the Amazon.
In all three countries, the Vatican says the Pope will have meetings with survivors of clerical sexual abuse – an issue which clouded a 2018 visit to Chile and Peru by his predecessor.
“This is how the papacy reconnects with Latin America after Francis, whose visits to the region were not always seamless,” is how Professor Faggioli sees it.
He believes Pope Leo has a strong sense of the unity of the Americas as one continent. “Democracies are in trouble there, so there are so many things he can address,” he suggests.
“The big question then is the United States. There’s no question he wants to go. So will he travel when [President Donald] Trump is still in office? I’m sure they’re thinking about this.”
