Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on Wednesday for the final leg of a six-day South American trip, telling an audience at Lima's Gran Teatro Nacional that he considers the country his "homeland" — a line that drew sustained applause from a crowd that had waited hours to see him.

The pontiff's flight landed at Callao Air Base outside Lima in the late afternoon, where Peruvian officials greeted him on the tarmac and two children presented him with flowers, according to CBS News. From there, motorcades carried him through streets lined with well-wishers.

Crowd estimates varied by outlet — The Globe and Mail put the total turnout across Lima at roughly three million people, while other outlets focused on tens of thousands gathered outside the cathedral — but every account described it as among the largest crowds of his papacy so far.

I AM ALSO RETURNING TO MY HOMELAND.

The visit carries extra weight because of where Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, spent much of his career. Before his election to the papacy, he lived in Peru for roughly two decades as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo, in the country's northwest — a posting that, locals say, shaped his pastoral style more than any other assignment.

A homecoming after surgery

The trip comes less than a month after Pope Leo underwent surgery for lung cancer, according to CNN, which reported he appeared in good spirits and kept a full schedule despite the recent procedure. Vatican aides have not detailed his prognosis.

His itinerary covers four Peruvian cities over six days. After the Lima welcome, he was scheduled to travel to Chiclayo — the diocese he once led — to celebrate Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel before returning to the capital, where he is staying at the Vatican's embassy residence for the remainder of the visit.

Peruvian officials have treated the trip as a national event, with television networks carrying the arrival live and shops in Lima and Chiclayo selling Pope Leo memorabilia alongside the usual tourist fare. The Vatican has not announced further foreign travel following the conclusion of the South America trip.