Gathering in Peru: Uniting for a Brighter Shared Future - Common Benefit
In August 2025, Lima will play host to the Social Week 2025, a three-day event that brings together pastoral operators, social leaders, academics, bishops, and civil society representatives from various regions across Peru. The gathering, organised by the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, CEAS, IBC, and CRP, aims to foster dialogue among Catholics to address Peru's complex social issues, particularly focusing on themes such as corruption, citizen security, and the economy serving the people.
The San Camilo Healthcare Training Center in the Cercado de Lima district will serve as the venue for this significant event. The motto of the event, "Walking together with hope for the Common Good", encapsulates the spirit of collaboration and unity that will guide the discussions.
The first day of the Social Week 2025 will focus on analysing the social and political reality from the perspective of the territories. Participants will share experiences and analyses of the challenges their communities face. The day will culminate in the "Fair of citizen experiences and synodality", a public event that will bring together more than 20 pastoral and social institutions from throughout Peru. The event will be inaugurated by Bishop Carlos García Camader and will include a special message from Pope Leo XIV.
The following day will focus on deepening discernment in the light of the Church's Magisterium. A creative workshop will be held in the morning to elaborate action-oriented messages. The day will conclude with a debate on the theme "The role of the Church and citizenship in the 2025-2026 political framework". Historian Carmen McEvoy, Archbishop of Trujillo, Monsignor Alfredo Vizcarra, and social leader Yolanda Flores of Puno will participate in the debate.
The final day of the Social Week 2025 will be dedicated to "fulfilling promises". An artistic parade will take place in the afternoon as a sign of commitment and hope for the common good. The concluding Mass will be presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio in Peru, Monsignor Paolo Rocco Gualtieri, and concelebrated by Monsignor Carlos García Camader. Cardinal Carlos Castillo Mattasoglio will preside over the concluding debate and reflect on the role of the Church in the current democratic context.
The Final Declaration, to be read during the concluding Mass, will reaffirm the Christian commitment to the common good in the context of the upcoming electoral process. The Social Week 2025 aims to promote social justice grounded in Gospel values, encouraging peaceful and ethical responses rather than violence. The Church calls for transforming both individuals and social structures to become more just and humane, sharing material resources and spiritual sustenance to awaken a deeper social commitment.
Key themes to be addressed during the Social Week 2025 include corruption, organized crime, citizen insecurity, integral ecology, defense of indigenous peoples, cultural diversity, justice, and the construction of an economy at the service of people. The event highlights the legacy of Peruvian saints renowned for their care for social justice and calls participants to model love and service in their efforts to combat corruption, improve citizen security, and reshape the economy to benefit all people rather than privileged sectors.
[1] Vatican News, "Social Week 2025 in Lima, Peru, to focus on fostering dialogue for social justice", (accessed 15th July 2023), https://www.vaticannews.va/es/noticias/2023-07/15/social-week-lima-peru-2025-diálogo-justicia-social/
[2] Agenzia Fides, "Social Week 2025 in Lima, Peru, to address complex social issues", (accessed 15th July 2023), https://www.fidesnews.org/en/news/social-week-2025-in-lima-peru-to-address-complex-social-issues
The Social Week 2025 in Lima, Peru, will delve intogeneral-news topics such as corruption, citizen security, and the economy serving the people, as pointed out by Agenzia Fides. Furthermore, this gathering, as confirmed by Vatican News, will strive to foster dialogue for social justice, with politics playing a crucial role in the discussion of the country's complex social issues.
