Peru: Pope Leo XIV leads youth prayer vigil at Lima's National Stadium

Loading the video No Comment Video. Peru: Pope Leo XIV leads youth prayer vigil at Lima's National Stadium Copy/paste the link below: Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Updated: 13 November 2026 - 9:11 GMT+1 Thousands of young Catholics gathered at Peru's National Stadium in Lima on Thursday 12 November for a prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, transforming the venue into a sea of lights, The stands lit up with thousands of mobile phone lights as the pontiff led an evening of songs, prayer and reflection. A sea of swaying lights, a jubilant nun and worshippers holding candles filled the scene as the pontiff addressed the crowd at Lima's National Stadium. Arriving in an open-sided vehicle, the 71-year-old pope smiled and waved to cheering spectators, some of whom ran alongside his escort while others held up placards, balloons and miniature figures of him. As darkness fell, tens of thousands switched on their phone torches, illuminating the stands amid a chorus of singing and chanting. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The evening gathering brought together young Peruvian Catholics and students for a moment of prayer and reflection during the final leg of Pope Leo XIV's 12-day tour of South America, following visits to Uruguay and Argentina. Around 60,000 people packed the stadium, with an estimated 300,000 more gathered outside. For the American-born pope, the visit carries deep personal significance. He spent more than two decades serving the Church in Peru, including as Bishop of Chiclayo, and became a naturalised Peruvian citizen in 2015 under his birth name, Robert Prevost. Having long described the country as his "homeland", he has been welcomed back by jubilant crowds who still affectionately remember him as "Padre Roberto", particularly at the lively youth vigil. Peru Lima, Peru Pope Leo XIV Youth prayers South America Top stories Now playing Next Peru: Pope Leo XIV leads youth prayer vigil at Lima's National Stadium Now playing Next US: New Congress members pose for traditional photo at Capitol Now playing Next Gaza: Devastation inside Nasser Hospital after deadly Israeli strike Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | November 13th, 2026 – Morning Now playing Next US envoys meet Putin as Europe pushes to join Ukraine talks Now playing Next Thailand urges return to multilateralism as “nobody can go it alone” Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | November 12th, 2026 – Evening Now playing Next Spain grinds to a halt in first general strike in 14 years Now playing Next Ukraine-Russia peace talks enter second day with territory in focus Now playing Next Moment historic SS United States sinks off Florida’s coast Now playing Next NYC building collapse kills eight as rescuers search for survivors Now playing Next EU's Russian LNG bill hits €8.7 billion as import ban looms Now playing Next Cause and effect: American rebels through the eyes of Jean-Pierre Laffont Now playing Next Getting ready for bombs: Europe's healthcare systems prepare for the unthinkable Now playing Next Microsoft Outlook global outage repair efforts not going 'as expected' Now playing Next Mercedes-Benz halts new investment in German plants, considers closures ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No Comment Russia: Soldier killed in car explosion in Saint Petersburg No Comment Ukraine: Russian drone attack sparks major fire in Kyiv residential building No Comment Slovenia: Red Bull human catapult sets two Guinness World Records No Comment Peru: Pope Leo XIV returns to his adopted homeland on historic visit Earth News Uzbekistan calls for shared early warnings and climate finance across Central Asia at COP31 Europe News Europe tells Russia: Our security architecture is for us to decide Europe News European Parliament urges Russia to return deported Ukrainian children Tech News Who is Alice Huang, the alleged Chinese spy linked to Nvidia's Jensen Huang? Tech News Jensen Huang quits Nvidia after 33 years amid alleged Chinese spy scandal Focus Cityscape Qatar showcases plans for twin towers and a cooled shopping street on Lusail’s waterfront Europe News MEPs back voting rights for new mothers – but fathers miss out Europe News EU spent €8.7bn on Russian Arctic LNG in 2026, as import ban looms ADVERTISEMENT World News Russian officer killed by car bomb in St Petersburg as murder investigation begins Earth News Drones deliver food to chimpanzees stranded by flooding Europe News Zelenskyy: Starlink again facing restrictions in Ukraine, hampering Russian drone interceptions Europe Today There's 'not much space for climate denial anymore', says climate expert World News Pope Leo XIV welcomed by millions on return to his second home Peru No Comment US: Survivor pulled alive from rubble after deadly Brooklyn collapse USA Democrat Scott Colom wins Mississippi Senate seat in historic upset Europe Today Exploitative e-commerce to be a thing of the past, EU justice chief vows ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT