Lima – “The roads that crisscross a country’s landscape also run through the soul of its people.” Drawing inspiration from the Qhapaq Ñan, the Great Inca Road, Pope Leo XIV outlined for the Bishops of Peru a mission that calls them to reach even the most remote communities.
In his address delivered on Thursday, November 12, in the chapel of the Archbishop’s Residence in Lima, the Pope drew a parallel between the image of the ancient Andean network and the lives of the saints who have left their mark on the Church in Peru.
Developed in part along routes dating back to pre-Inca times, the Qhapaq Ñan connected the territories of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire, through a network of roads stretching for approximately 30,000 kilometres. It served both trade and the administration of territories characterized by extreme geographical conditions. A selection of its sections, spread across six countries, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. For the Andean communities, it remains a living heritage, to which practices of the shared stewardship of Creation and knowledge passed down through the generations are linked.
“We may also consider that, just as this Trail is the heir to the ancient paths used by pre-Incan cultures, the bishop is a servant in his Diocese of the history of salvation that began before him and will continue after him ,” Pope Leo XIV explained.
It was along those roads that the chasquis travelled – messengers whom the Pope likened to the bishop, “the messenger who bears the Good News of the Gospel, safeguards the treasure of the word of God and administers the sacraments as those indispensable gifts which are necessary to sustain the Christian life.” Getting to know one’s diocese, therefore, means entering people’s homes and drawing close to those who, because of geographical remoteness or social vulnerability, are rarely able to make their voices heard : “The shepherd is called to go out and meet everyone.”
Toribio de Mogrovejo: The Gospel in the languages of the peoples
The Pope first gave concrete expression to this image by recalling Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo. Born in Spain in 1538, he was a jurist before being called to the episcopate and arrived in Lima as Archbishop in 1581. He travelled extensively throughout his vast ecclesiastical territory during his pastoral ministry and died in 1606 in Zaña, during one of these journeys.
Leo XIV recalled his commitment to ensuring that the Gospel was proclaimed in indigenous languages, as reflected in the catechism in Aymara, Quechua and Spanish prepared in the context of the Third Provincial Council of Lima. The Pope also cited his example when addressing the difficulties inherent in pastoral ministry: “Pastoral charity does not consist in avoiding problems ,” he stressed, “but in remaining faithful to Christ and seeking the greatest possible good for people.”
Another aspect of the bishop’s journey, the Pope explained, is that it is undertaken together with his priests. Drawing on another image from the Andean world, the Pope described him as an “itinerant Yachay Wasi”, a “house of knowledge”, where the shepherd shares the burdens of his priests and ensures that no one is left behind.
The Quechua expression yachay wasi means “house of knowledge” and referred to a place where members of the Inca nobility received their education. There, young people were prepared for government responsibilities by teachers known as amautas. Their education included history and religious traditions, as well as the knowledge required to administer the empire.
The adjective “itinerant” was introduced by the Pope to describe the journey shared by the bishop and his priests. In this image, that journey becomes a place of formation through sharing in their struggles and aspirations. He then encouraged Peru’s synodal process to continue in an atmosphere of mutual trust, “so that authority is not exercised autocratically nor is obedience mere servility.”
Saint Rose of Lima and the charity of the Dominican brothers
The Saints, too, walk along the Qhapaq Ñan. In recalling Saint Rose of Lima, Leo XIV drew attention to the spiritual life of shepherds. Having lived between 1586 and 1617, this Dominican tertiary welcomed the sick and abandoned into her family home. In 1671, she became the first saint from the New World to be canonized.
Her prayer and dedication to those in need remind bishops, the Pope observed, that apostolic fruitfulness depends on union with the Lord. In recalling Saint Francis Solano, the Pontiff emphasized the joyful missionary spirit that characterized his life. From Saint Francis Solano we learn “to cross borders to proclaim the Gospel” especially to those living on the human and geographical peripheries.
Service to the poorest was a common thread in the lives of Saint Martin de Porres and Saint Juan Macías, Dominican brothers who devoted themselves in Lima to those whom colonial society had left on the margins. Martin cared for the sick, providing them with food and medicine. Juan, who had arrived from Spain, served as porter at the convent of La Magdalena, where he welcomed those in need every day. John XXIII canonized Martin in 1962; thirteen years later, Paul VI proclaimed Juan Macías a Saint.
Their example teaches us, Leo XIV stressed, that charity begins with “a simple gesture, a listening ear” and that “no person can be judged by their rank, their origins or their social status.”
The reminder of every person’s dignity introduced the Pope’s remarks on abuses perpetrated by members of the clergy or within the context of the Church, “a reality that has caused us so much pain”. The Pope called for a response “as Jesus would”, “with truth, justice, forgiveness and making amends” and an ever more resolute commitment to fostering a culture of prevention and protection for the weakest in light of such crimes.
“The Church belongs to Christ. We are messengers who will one day complete our journey”
These lives of the Saints form a “school of holiness” that bears witness to the unity of the Church in Peru, the Pope said with enthusiasm. A unity for which the bishops also bear responsibility.
Since the beginning of the Peruvian leg of his South American journey, Leo XIV has shared personal memories. On this occasion, he recalled a special moment during Pope Francis’ visit to Peru in 2018:
“Dear brother bishops, in 2018 I was seated there in the back among you in this very place, and we received from our beloved Pope Francis a passionate exhortation to work for unity. I recall that he told us: “Do not remain prisoners of divisions that create cliques and hamper our vocation to be a sacrament of communion… That was — and is and always will be — the best way to evangelize.’”
Division, in fact, undermines witness, whereas communion makes it credible. “Communion among you, among us,” Pope Prevost insisted, “is the foundation of the credibility of the Gospel you proclaim.”
He further explained: “In and through communion, the bishop will be an instrument in preventing social or political polarization from weakening his prophetic and evangelizing mission.”
The image of the Inca Trail ultimately returned as a challenge to the present day: “An ancient path retains its value when it continues to enable people to reach their destination.” For this reason, he pointed out, we must constantly ask ourselves “which paths truly lead to Christ, and we should denounce false paths.”
T oday, Peru needs shepherds “capable of listening to the questions of our time and illuminating them with the clarity of the Gospel. In this way, you will be able to accompany families, support young people, defend the life and dignity of every person, promote justice and commit to the care of creation, helping in a particular way those who suffer from poverty, exclusion, corruption, violence and a lack of opportunities.”
This mission, the Bishop of Rome clarified, “requires us to combine doctrinal fidelity with pastoral closeness; the celebration of the sacraments with a commitment to our neighbor; and the formation of consciences with a concrete witness of charity.”
Before the Blessed Sacrament, he recalled, we regain “the correct perspective on our ministry”.
Then, carefully emphasizing each word, he concluded: “The Church does not belong to us; it belongs to Christ. We are messengers who will one day complete our journey. Only God remains!”
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