Vatican City, Aug 7, 2017 / 11:32 am
Pope Francis has sent a special message to Peruvians ahead of his visit to their country next year, telling them to look to the great saints of the nation as they prepare, and pointing to hope and unity as key areas of reflection.
Standing beside a statue of St. Martin de Porres, the Pope told Peruvians in his native Spanish that he will be with them in just a short time, and that "I have a great desire to go."
"You are a people with a large legacy, (and) the most beautiful legacy that a people can have is the legacy of the saints," he said, noting that Peru has "many saints, and great saints that mark Latin America."
Among the best-known of these are St. Martin de Porres, St. Rose of Lima, St. Francis Solano, and St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, in addition to the widespread devotion to the image of Our Lord of the Miracles.