Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
photo: Vicariato Apostólico de Pucallpa
by Laura Gómez Ruiz
Pucallpa (Fides News Agency) – A chalice shaped like a traditional Amazonian vessel, a paten evoking the rivers of the region, and liturgical vestments inspired by the art of the Shipibo people will accompany the Eucharistic celebration to be presided over by Pope Leo XIV in Pucallpa on November 15. The local Church is preparing for the Pope’s visit as a historic event, but also as an opportunity to express, through the liturgy, how the Christian faith can take root in the history, culture and spiritual memory of the peoples of the Amazon.
“Preparing for the Pope’s visit is not simply a matter of organizing stages, routes and celebrations. Above all, it has been an experience of Church,” said Bishop Augusto Martín Quijano Rodríguez, SDB, Apostolic Vicar of Pucallpa, during the final press conference ahead of the Pope’s arrival.
Around one hundred people have taken part in coordination meetings held almost every week. “We have learned to work together, to listen to one another and to overcome difficulties,” the Bishop explained, highlighting the ecclesial nature of these preparations and their focus on serving the community. He also expressed his gratitude for the generous cooperation of parishes, communities, religious congregations, volunteers and authorities, as well as for the commitment of the choir, whose members have been rehearsing for months.
“There are still many challenges,” he acknowledged, referring, among other things, to providing meals for the approximately 5,000 pilgrims expected to arrive from various Amazonian communities. The Bishop is counting on the generosity of the local population to ensure that the pilgrims are adequately provided for . The Pope will attend two large-scale gatherings on Sunday. The first will be a meeting with the peoples of the Amazon and missionaries, scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Malecón Puerto Callao in Yarinacocha, with a capacity of 3,000 people. As Father Lucas Santa, general coordinator of the papal visit to Pucallpa, explained, “this will not be a liturgical celebration, but rather a space for dialogue and an exchange of gifts, where the peoples of the Amazon will be able to share their culture, their way of life and also their concerns with the Holy Father.”
The second event will be the Eucharistic celebration at the Villa Deportiva Regional de Ucayali, known as La Videnita, in the district of Manantay, which can accommodate 70,000 people. It will be the first Mass celebrated by a Pope in the Peruvian Amazon.
A liturgy that expresses an encounter
One of the most significant aspects of the celebration will be the array of symbols and vestments prepared for the occasion. Father Lucas explained that “the intention was to ensure that Amazonian identity would be present in the celebration, not as a decorative feature, but through signs expressing the history, culture and spirituality of the peoples of the region”.
This intention is reflected in the various liturgical items prepared for the Eucharistic celebration. The Pope’s mitre has been decorated with Amazonian motifs and features the logo of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA).” The chasubles for the bishops and the stoles for the priests have been decorated with designs created by Chonon Bensho, an artist from the Ucayali region who belongs to the Shipibo people. In a statement read during the press conference, the artist explained that the designs evoke “rivers, forests, the wisdom of medicinal plants” and the spiritual dimensions of her people.
These vestments take on particular significance in their encounter with the Christian cross. Father Lucas explained that kené, the traditional art of the Shipibo people, expressed through patterns and designs, can enter into dialogue with the Christian symbol of the cross. The aim is not to attribute the same meaning to both, but to show that the Christian faith and the spiritual memory of Indigenous peoples can meet and enrich one another.
This relationship also poses a challenge for evangelization in this land. “Can people live as Christians in the Amazon without having to abandon the spiritual memory of the Indigenous families and communities who have inhabited this territory?” Father Lucas asked. The challenge, he added, is to welcome the Gospel through the languages, affections, ways of thinking and sensibilities of Indigenous peoples.
This same relationship between the Amazon and the Catholic faith is expressed in the chalice and paten that the Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa will present to the Pope as a gift. Both items were crafted by artisans from Ucayali, members of the ‘Artesano Don Bosco’ association, using the traditional marqueteado technique, which combines different types of wood from the region. The chalice is designed to look like a mocagua, a traditional drinking vessel used by many communities in the Amazon. It is decorated with two symbols: a heart pierced by an arrow, which is an Augustinian symbol, and an otorongo (jaguar), which represents strength and wisdom in Indigenous cultures and also recalls the image of the ‘Amazonian lion’.” The paten also carries an important message through its symbols. Its silver centre represents the rivers of the Amazon, while three ojé trees, traditionally known for their medicinal properties, surround the place where the host is placed. As Father Lucas explained, these trees symbolize how nature supports and embraces the Eucharist. In this way, elements of the Amazonian natural world become part of the Christian celebration, whose centre is the Body of Christ.
A Church with an Amazonian face, walking alongside its peoples
The preparations for the celebration have also involved cooperation from various sectors of society. Pucallpa prison has contributed to the making of 150 chairs for the bishops and concelebrating priests, as well as the chair for the Pope. The Bishop stressed that these gestures form part of a wider collaboration that has made the preparations a shared experience for the entire community.
“Pope Leo XIV is arriving,” the Bishop explained, “with a particular focus on the Amazon, to meet its peoples and listen to their voices, their hopes and their concerns.”
“The Church in the Amazon has much to share with Peru and with the world: its faith, its cultural diversity, its joy, its hospitality and its commitment to life.”
“We want the Holy Father to find a living Church, a missionary Church, a Church with an Amazonian face, walking alongside these peoples,” the Bishop concluded, welcoming the Pontiff with the words: “Pucallpa is waiting for you. Welcome to the Amazon.”
(Fides News Agency, 14/11/2026)
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