Pope Leo XIV came home on Friday 13 November. On the esplanade of Pampas de Pimentel, near Chiclayo in the northern Peruvian region of Lambayeque, he celebrated an open-air Mass attended by about 500,000 people, according to Vatican figures. Around one million more lined the streets to see him pass, in temperatures reaching 32°C.
A homecoming
Before his election, the pope, born Robert Prevost in the United States, spent much of his life in Peru. He was a missionary in the country from 1985 to 1998, became a Peruvian citizen in 2015, and served as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.
"What a joy it is to return to Chiclayo!" he said at the start of his homily, before thanking the faithful: "Thank you for your affection, support and prayers."
Many pilgrims had spent the night on the site. The crowd chanted "¡El Papa es chiclayano!" ("The pope is from Chiclayo!") and dancers performed the Marinera Norteña, the traditional dance of northern Peru. The current Bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán Córdova, welcomed him.
The homily: mission and family
The pope's message focused on mission. He asked the faithful to place Jesus Christ at the centre of their lives and warned that "mission cannot be improvised". He described families as "the missionary nucleus" of the Church and placed love of neighbour at the heart of Christian life.
He also warned against indifference, materialism and selfishness, and concluded that "the mission is only beginning".
According to the Catholic outlets Angelus and America, the trip comes about one month after the pope underwent surgery for lung cancer. The Vatican has not given further details on his health during the visit.
The rest of the day in Chiclayo
In the afternoon, Leo XIV was due to visit the chapel of St Óscar Romero, the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University, all places linked to his years as bishop.
A South American tour
Chiclayo is the final stage of a trip that began on 6 November and has taken the pope to:
- Uruguay;
- Argentina;
- Peru, the last leg.
In Lima, on Thursday 12 November, he met six survivors of abuse, some of them linked to the Sodalitium of Christian Life, a Catholic movement dissolved in 2025 after years of scandal. He also met Peru's bishops and addressed about 60,000 young people in a stadium.
According to UPI, the pope is due to remain in Peru until Sunday 15 November and return to Rome on Monday 16 November.
An American pope with a Peruvian heart
Elected in May 2025, Leo XIV is the first pope born in the United States, but he has often described Peru as his second home. During his years in Chiclayo he was known for visiting remote parishes, supporting victims of the floods that hit the north of the country and working closely with local clergy. Those memories explain the intensity of Friday's welcome, which local media compared to a national celebration.
Why it matters
For many Peruvians, Leo XIV is "their" pope. His return to Chiclayo, the city he governed as bishop for eight years, turned into a popular celebration. It also allowed the pontiff to address issues central to the Church in Latin America: the place of families, the fight against indifference, and the response to abuse scandals.
What remains to be confirmed
- Official attendance figures from Peruvian authorities.
- Further information from the Vatican on the pope's health.
- The final programme for the last days of the visit.
Main image: Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Lima and Callao, November 2026 — Regional Government of Callao, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
