Direction: Salvatore Cernuzio, Jaime Vizcaíno Haro and Felipe Herrera-Espaliat
Production/TV: Vatican News, Radio Vaticana and L’Osservatore Romano
Country: Italy
Year: 2025
Genre/sub-genre: Documentary
Channel: Vatican News
Duration: 45 min
SYNOPSIS
The documentary “Lion of Peru”, broadcast a month and a half after the election of Pope Leo XIV as Pontiff of the Catholic Church, gathers testimonies from his years in Peru—crucial for his ministry as priest and bishop.
Through 35 interviews, the film portrays the figure of a street pastor, close to the people, whose pastoral style and message were shaped by Latin American influences, despite his American origins.
A journey through the cities of Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chulucanas, Lima, and Callao reveals the places that forged the personality of the Augustinian clergyman and the people who influenced his shy yet, paradoxically, community-loving character.
The audiovisual piece is accompanied by three songs with traditional rhythms from northern Peru, composed to celebrate the Pope’s election: “The Pope’s Marinera”, “The Pope’s Cumbia”, and “From Chiclayo to the Vatican.”
