Pope Leo XIV on Sunday faced his toughest physical test since undergoing lung cancer surgery, arriving in high-altitude Cusco on the final full day of his South America tour.
The 71-year-old pontiff, who had part of a lung removed a month ago, touched down in the ancient Inca capital, more than 3,400 metres (11,000 feet) above sea level -- high enough to leave many a visitor breathless.
Children in red-and-white Andean hats, brightly woven ponchos and embroidered skirts greeted the pope as he stepped off the plane in Cusco, the latest stop on an intense 12-day trip through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
He was then to climb hundreds of metres higher to Saqsaywaman, a vast stone fortress that crowns a hill above Cusco, where troupes of musicians and ritual dancers from across the Andes gathered for a prayer service.
Later on Sunday he will travel to the Peruvian Amazon as part of a demanding day that will be closely watched for signs that his recovery remains on track.
The US-born pope spent nearly two decades as a missionary in Peru before becoming head of the Catholic Church.
His homecoming has included emotional reunions in Chiclayo, where he served as bishop, and repeated references to the country he has described as his adopted homeland.
His recent surgery cast doubt on whether the trip could go ahead as planned.
But Leo kept the demanding itinerary, thanking Peruvians on Friday for their prayers and support, "in particular for my health."
In South America, home to the world's largest Catholic population, Leo has sought to reinvigorate a faith that is losing followers in parts of the region.
He has used the trip to defend the poor and marginalised, denounce violence and express concern over falling birth rates.
Later Sunday he was scheduled to fly to Pucallpa, one of the largest cities in the Peruvian Amazon, to meet Indigenous leaders and hear concerns about threats facing rainforest communities.
Located on the Ucayali River, Pucallpa is at the heart of a region that has become one of Peru's deforestation hotspots.
According to government figures, Peru lost 3.2 million hectares of forest between 2001 and 2024 -- an area the size of Belgium.
Indigenous leader Fernando Carteiro said local communities hoped the pope would draw attention to their struggle.
"The message he can give is not only for Peru, it will be for the whole world," he told AFP, adding that communities would welcome a pope willing to "speak on our side".
Leo was due to watch a traditional Shipibo-Konibo dance before delivering remarks expected to focus on drug trafficking, illegal logging and pollution in the Amazon.
He will also take part in a ceremony involving a shihuahuaco tree, an Amazon species prized by loggers but capable of living for more than 1,000 years, before celebrating a Mass and returning to Lima.
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