A papal diplomat to North American and South American countries said Pope Leo XIV brings a “message of hope” to the people.
Leo, who was born in the United States and spent more than 20 years in Peru, traveled to Uruguay this weekend. He is in Argentina Nov. 9–11 and will end his trip with a seven-day visit to Peru.
The Holy Father’s message to the people is a message of hope, “a message that these countries need,” said Monsignor Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano, permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States (OAS), during a Nov. 6 Spanish-language interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.
“We know, in particular, that there is great inequality among these nations — socially, politically, and economically,” Cruz Serrano said. “The pope’s presence serves as a call for social reconciliation wherever there are fractures or divisions, and it will also point us toward a path to follow.”
“He does not come with ready-made solutions, of course, but he can certainly show us a way forward — both as an ecclesial community and as citizens — so that we may continue our journey toward a better future and a new humanity,” he said. “It is about becoming better Christians. I see it as a constructive, forward-looking message; it is not something imposed upon others. Rather, he comes with the hope that the message he brings is truly good news.
Cruz Serrano was appointed as observer to the OAS under Pope Francis in 2021 and remains in the role. The OAS is a regional association of countries that represents every nation in North America and South America, with the exception of Nicaragua, which withdrew in 2023. The Holy See has no resident ambassador in Managua after the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, was expelled in 2022.
In the interview, Cruz Serrano noted the region to which Leo is traveling “lies at the heart of Christendom and also at the heart of the pope himself.” This is “not only because of the high number of Catholics there, but also because of the deep Christian roots that run through these countries,” he said.
“I believe that the whole of Christendom is tuned in to hear the message the pope wishes to convey,” he said. “I think his primary message is one of strengthening the faith; after all, we know that the pope’s main mission is to confirm us in our faith in Christ.”
Cruz Serrano noted that a papal trip is not diplomatic or economic, but rather pastoral. Although Leo is meeting with government officials and diplomats, “he will convey a message — a moral and ethical message, but also one of dialogue.”
“He proposes that we walk together,” the diplomat said. “He comes as a messenger of peace, a messenger of hope. So, I believe that, more than a diplomatic trip, it is a pastoral journey — one that includes, among other things, meetings with political and diplomatic leaders, as well as representatives of civil society. But above all, I would like to emphasize its pastoral dimension.”
Cruz Serrano also spoke with “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Veronica Dudo, saying he expects Leo’s trip to Peru will be “very meaningful” and similar to a “homecoming” for the pontiff. He said Leo “knows the people, he knows the history.”
The diplomat also discussed relations between the Indigenous of South America and the people of European descent, speaking of an importance to “build bridges” so people understand one another. He said Leo “is not coming only to speak” but “is also coming to listen.”
Outreach to the Indigenous communities of South America was also an important issue for Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina. This included the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, also known as the Amazonian Synod.
Speaking to EWTN News, Cruz Serrano noted that Francis taught that people “need to respect” the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and “learn from them.”
In the context of dialoguing with people who follow Indigenous religions, Cruz Serrano said “they have their values that we should learn” but added that “our faith is in Jesus Christ” and “he sent his disciples to go to the end of the world and preach the good news,” which must be preached to all people.
He said the Church does not seek to be an imposition on those who follow Indigenous religions, saying: “We donʼt impose. Our faith is a proposal. So we go to the Indigenous people with a proposal. This is our proposal” that “Jesus Christ died and he rose for us.”
This is Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to South America since becoming pope.
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