Pope Leo XIV Returns to Chiclayo, His Peruvian Diocese, at Emotional Highlight of South American Tour

CHICLAYO, Peru (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is already a ubiquitous figure in Chiclayo, where murals, baseball caps, bobbleheads and signs reading “Welcome home” celebrate the city in northern Peru.

While Lima is known for its cuisine and Cusco for its Incan heritage, Chiclayo holds a special place as the hometown of the Peruvian‑American pontiff, who is scheduled to visit on Friday.

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, served nearly two decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop. He became a Peruvian citizen before his tenure as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. During those years he earned deep affection for his advocacy on behalf लोकसभा的 behalf of the poor and his hands‑on pastoral style.

Residents recall his decisive actions—procuring oxygen generators during the COVID‑19 pandemic, trudging through floodwaters to aid families, and celebrating Mass in the local prison. He also drove his pickup truck into remote villages to distribute blankets and Christmas carols, and he enjoyed regional dishes such as duck with rice and goat stew.

In his first address as head of 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo addressed his “beloved Diocese of Chiclayo” in Spanish from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, underscoring his affection for the churches, schools and sanctuaries there. The visit is widely regarded as the emotional climax of his South American tour.

“People aren’t saying the pope is Peruvian; they say he’s Chiclayano!” said Rev. Jasson Sempertegui, his former secretary. “In Chiclayo we like to say, ‘The pope is returning home.’”

Sempertegui described the return as the most pivotal moment in Chiclayo’s history since its founding in the 16th century by Spanish Franciscan priests as an Indigenous village roughly 13 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean.

He added that Chiclayo and its people likely influenced Leo more than his native Chicago or the Vatican, noting the crises—COVID‑19, Venezuelan migration, and devastating floods—that shaped his pastoral identity.

Leo often joked, “Chicago, Chiclayo, what difference is there? Only one letter.”

Chiclayo, a city of about 700,000, serves as the commercial hub of Peru’s northern Pacific coast, linked to the Andes and the Amazon. Known as the “Capital of Friendship,” it sits near major archaeological sites.

“We used to be unnoticed,” said Zuly Castillo, who worked for Leo as bishop. “Now we are known worldwide.” A life‑size cardboard cutout of the pope now greets visitors at his former residence.

During his tenure, Leo rose before dawn for prayer, walked to the cathedral, heard confessions and engaged with a city where 20 % live in poverty. He earned a reputation as an efficient problem‑solver, even fixing diocesan cars using YouTube tutorials, and he embraced local customs, sharing meals of lomo saltado and ceviche with clergy.

Seminarians at the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo seminary remember his visits—offering encouragement, sharing meals, playing tennis. Cardinal Prevost’s election to the papacy sparked euphoria; “Everyone jumped as if they had won a World Cup!” recalled seminary leader Rev. Marcos Ballena.

Darwin Sanchez, an altar boy who will one day carry Leo’s miter, said the pope’s Chiclayano identity has sparked renewed interest in vocations among youth.

Off duty, Leo enjoyed watching Chicago White Sox games and binge‑watching series such as “24” and “Prison Break.”

In the working‑class district of San Antonio, he inaugurated a soup kitchen, sharing meals with the needy. “He told immigrants we welcome vulnerable people,” said Daria Chavarry, a volunteer at the kitchen now named “Papa Leon XIV.”

Maria Teresa Santa Cruz, 78, bought a Leo T‑shirt in three installments of 25 sol each, saying, “We have one more representative here on Earth.”

Leo’s outreach included delivering donations after 2017 floods, providing shelter for Venezuelan migrants and building 13 homes. “He gave us a place to rebuild,” said Betania Marina Rodriguez, a resident of one of the homes.

During the pandemic, he delivered live chickens to Rodriguez’s home for distribution among migrants, embodying his belief that “human dignity has no borders.”

Rocio Zeña, whose home was destroyed in the 2023 floods, recalled Leo wading through floodwaters in rubber boots, removing his priestly robes to help. “He was the first who cared when everything was flooded,” she said.

Leo once expressed a desire to remain in Chiclayo, even to be buried alongside other bishops, according to Daniel Burke and Scott Detrow’s book “American Pope.” He later returned to Rome at Pope Francis’s request.

Prisoners at Chiclayo penitentiary crafted a papal staff as a gift for his visit, honoring his earlier Mass celebrations. “We knew he’d come back; Chiclayo is in his heart,” said prison chaplain Rev. Elmer Uchofen.

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