Peru unveils world’s largest statue honoring Pope Leo XIV

Peru.- The world’s largest statue honoring Pope Leo XIV, standing 14 meters tall, was unveiled Monday in Peru less than 48 hours before the pontiff begins his apostolic visit to the country where he spent more than two decades of his pastoral career and later adopted Peruvian nationality.

The fiberglass monument, built in 45 days with a white marble finish, depicts Leo XIV in papal robes with his arms outstretched. It stands in a square facing the Pacific Ocean in Callao, the port province neighboring Lima.

Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, blessed the statue and said the Pope is expected to pass by the monument during his November 16 visit to a nursing home in Callao. The pontiff served as apostolic administrator of the Callao diocese during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.

García Camader thanked Callao authorities for creating what he described as a sign of faith and hope. He also noted that the province has prepared a large mural honoring the Pope and said his visit should help promote peace, harmony and fraternity in a city facing serious problems with crime and extortion.

Local residents welcomed the monument as a symbol of pride. Marisol, a Callao resident, said she hopes the Pope will pray for peace in Peru, while Dora highlighted his previous work in the community and said residents are proud to welcome him back.

Callao provincial mayor César Pérez described the statue as a tribute from Peruvian Catholics to their “Peruvian pope” and praised the cooperation involved in its construction. The project was donated by financial institution Caja Huancayo, which commissioned Peruvian artists Rafael Gutiérrez and Deyvi Wong to create the monument.

Pope Leo XIV will visit Peru from November 11 to 16 as the final stop of his first Latin American tour, which also includes Uruguay and Argentina. During his six-day visit, he is scheduled to travel to Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, as well as the towns of Zaña and Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.

The Pope lived in Peru for more than 20 years, serving in different pastoral roles before becoming bishop of Chiclayo, further strengthening his ties to the country.