Thousands of faithful gathered Saturday evening to pay tribute to Pope Leon XIV, a former bishop of the Chiclayo diocese, during a mass held outside Chiclayo Cathedral in northern Peru.
“The city of friendship, the city of the Eucharist, has accompanied Holy Father Leon XIV on his pilgrimage, so he can now unite and lead the universal Church from Chiclayo, from Latin America, the continent of hope for the entire world,” announced the current bishop of the diocese, Edinson Farfan, addressing a packed crowd.
Robert Francis Prevost, originally from the United States, has spent significant time in Peru, acquiring Peruvian nationality in 2015 and serving as the archbishop-bishop emeritus of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.
“Papa amigo, Chiclayo esta contigo (Pope friend, Chiclayo is with you),” chanted the joyful congregation, applauding repeatedly.
Surrounded by dozens of priests, Bishop Farfan emphasised the pontiff’s closeness to the poor, the vulnerable, the suffering, migrants, and refugees, describing him as deeply sensitive to social justice, before extending an invitation to the Pope.
Leon XIV “deeply loved” Chiclayo, a city that “he keeps close to his heart, and we shall certainly invite him to visit us,” he declared.
“His Holiness Leon XIV is a well-prepared, balanced pontiff with the capacity to govern, but more than that, he possesses a great heart, open to welcoming everyone,” the bishop continued.
The mass, broadcast on two giant screens, attracted several thousand people from across the vast diocese, gathering in front of the fully illuminated Santa Maria Cathedral.
During his inaugural speech at the Vatican on Thursday, delivered in Italian, the new 69-year-old pontiff briefly greeted his “dear diocese of Chiclayo” in Spanish, paying tribute to its “faithful people.”
