The close collaboration between Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and now Pope Leo XIV blazed a trail of service and evangelization in Peru. From the Andes to the Amazon, ACN’s projects carry hope and a pastoral presence to where it is needed most. In this interview, Peruvian Luis Vildoso, who is responsible for ACN’s projects in Latin America, speaks about the fruits of this work and the current challenges that the Church in Peru faces. (Cover banner: In Rome on June 22 and 23, 2023, the first synodal cooperation meeting of ecclesial organizations, following the Mass in the Catacombs of St. Peter. The future Pope Leo XIV presided over the Mass.)
ACN worked closely with dioceses in Peru, such as Chiclayo and Callao, while the current pope was bishop there. How was that collaboration, and what joint projects were carried out?
Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Augustinian Vicariate of San Juan de Sahagún de Chulucanas, Peru, in 1985, and worked in parishes, as well as being part of the formation team for the Major Seminary of San Carlos and San Marcelo in the Archdiocese of Trujillo, where he was also judicial vicar, before being named bishop of Chiclayo and Apostolic Administrator of Callao.
Our collaboration at that time was very close and friendly. During his episcopal ministry in Chiclayo and in Callao, now Pope Leo XIV always showed great pastoral sensitivity and apostolic zeal. ACN collaborated with him on several projects, especially related to the formation of seminarians at the Seminary of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo; to the presence of communities of women’s religious, especially in places where there was no resident priest; the support of priests through Mass intentions; the construction of pastoral support centres and the repair of chapels in rural areas; as well as faith formation programs for the laity. These projects bear witness to his missionary spirit, and his efforts to bring the Church closer to the faithful and to the people.
What are the main needs of the Church in Peru?
The Church in Peru faces important challenges. I would highlight three main ones:
Firstly, a lack of priests. Peru has approximately 3,000 priests for a population of over 30 million people. That means that each priest has to serve an average of 10,000 people. There are some areas, especially in the Andes and the Amazon region, where that ratio surpasses 15,000 faithful per priest. Compared to Europe, where the ratio is 1,500, this is very high. This is why ACN is committed to the formation of seminarians and women religious in Peru, as well as supporting vocational programs.
On the other hand, Peru is the third-largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is 2.5 times bigger than Spain, and furthermore, it has a complicated geography, which varies from sea level to over 6,000 metres above. In some remote places such as the Andes and the Amazon, the Church is the only organization on the ground sustaining hope and spreading the Gospel. Therefore, at ACN we help to ensure that the Church has material help, such as means of transport, and by this I am not only referring to cars, but also to boats, as in the Amazon, for instance.
Finally, there is a great exodus from the countryside to the cities, which has led to a massive expansion of urban areas. ACN is helping the Church to be present on the outskirts of the cities, enabling the pastoral and spiritual accompaniment of the faithful, helping to build chapels, churches and pastoral centres, and also promoting faith formation for the laity. This is a wide-ranging and challenging mission, but it is also full of hope.
What does it mean for ACN to have worked so closely with the man who was now elected pope?
It is a great joy and a blessing. If you think about it, it is very interesting because he is a person who has the capacity to handle the great challenges of the universal Church, but also, at the same time, to keep in touch with the simple and concrete reality of the faithful. ACN did not only collaborate with him when he was bishop in Peru, but also in his role as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. At one meeting, I had the chance to speak with him for a moment, and I introduced myself as a Peruvian. What I would highlight from that conversation was his closeness and his affection not only for the Church in Peru, but also for the Church in Latin America. I was moved by his gratitude for the support we have provided.
He knows our mission well, and as a pontifical charity we have renewed, now that he is pope, our commitment to being a bridge of love, that allows the Church to continue to announce the Gospel, especially where it faces persecution, or material needs that are an obstacle to evangelization.
In April 2024, ACN opened a new office in Lima. What goals do you expect this new office to achieve, and how will it strengthen the charity’s presence in the country?
The office in Lima allows us to better articulate our efforts in the whole country and is a more efficient bridge between those who provide help and those who need it. ACN is a bridge of love between Catholics all over the world who want to help their brothers and sisters in need.
ACN already had several offices in Latin America, namely in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The opening of another office in Lima is proof of the commitment of the faithful to helping the local Church and also the universal Church. Peru is a country where the Church is on the receiving end of aid, however, people are also beginning to organize locally. We want to reach more faithful, so that they can learn about the needs of the suffering and persecuted Church and therefore support more projects for evangelization and pastoral development all around the world.
