Chiclayo prepares to welcome Pope Leo XIV home

Pope Leo XIV is set to return to Chiclayo, Peru, on Friday for his first major celebration in the city where he served as bishop for nine years. Church organizers estimate that up to one million people will gather on a large field outside the city for the mass. The pope arrived in Peru on Wednesday, and the visit marks his first trip to the country since his election in May 2025.

Chiclayo is the commercial center of Peru's northern Pacific coast, home to approximately 700,000 residents. The city gained global attention on May 8, 2025, when the newly elected pope addressed the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He spoke in Spanish and specifically mentioned Chiclayo, the diocese he led from 2014 until 2023.

Rolando Antonio Mendoza sells posters of the pope in front of the local cathedral. He said he is glad Leo is returning. "Even though he’s now Pope Leo XIV, he hasn’t forgotten about his homeland," Mendoza said. The local community has been preparing for the visit, with street sweepers like Cynthia Charrary cleaning the main square. Charrary said the city wants to be its cleanest for the occasion because the pope is a native of Chiclayo.

Leo, who was born in Chicago and formerly named Robert Prevost, spent two decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop. Pope Francis appointed him to the diocese of Chiclayo in 2014. He served until 2023, when he was called to Rome to head the Vatican's office for bishops. During his time in Chiclayo, he addressed several crises, including the 2023 floods, the 2018 surge in Venezuelan migrants, and the 2020 pandemic. Rocio Zena, whose home was damaged in the 2023 floods, remembered the bishop's help. "Chiclayo is a party," Zena said. "We’re overjoyed to welcome the Holy Father with so much faith."

Local businesses have embraced the visit. The El Trebol restaurant displays framed photos of Prevost on horseback and in floodwaters. A sign on table number three, which faces the cathedral, reads "mesa bendita." The restaurant sells "Papaletas," a frozen treat featuring the pope's image in white chocolate. A life-size cardboard cutout of the pope stands near his former residence, where an exhibit displays the skullcaps he wore as bishop, cardinal, and pope.

Since arriving in Peru, the 71-year-old pope has appeared more animated than usual. On Thursday, he attended a gathering for 60,000 young people in a Lima stadium, where he sang along to popular songs. On Wednesday, he sang the national anthem at the presidential palace. He also joked with Peruvian bishops about his recent lung cancer surgery, noting that some doubted his health.

After the mass in Chiclayo, Leo will meet with local clergy and seminarians. He will also speak at the Catholic university in the city, which is named for Saint Turibius de Mogrovejo. The 16th-century archbishop of Lima is a personal inspiration for Leo. Mogrovejo is known for traveling on horseback to visit his flock and for teaching faith in indigenous languages like Quechua and Aymara. The Rev. John Lydon, an Augustinian who lived with Leo in Peru for over 10 years, said the pope's commitment to human rights and lay involvement was formed during his earlier mission work in Chulucanas and Trujillo.

Leo's itinerary for the day includes these meetings and speeches. The visit concludes his initial round of events in Peru, where he has focused on connecting with the faithful in his former diocese.