Pope Leo makes emotional return to his ‘beloved diocese of Chiclayo’

Detailed summary

Pope Leo XIV made a triumphant return to the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for and was affectionately nicknamed “Padre Roberto.”

LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV made a triumphant return Friday to the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for eight years and was affectionately nicknamed “Padre Roberto.”

As he touched down he was greeted with a big sign saying “#LeonXIVVuelaACasa,” or Pope Leo returns home, before small dance troupe performed before him.

The crowds greeting Leo in Peru’s fourth largest city will likely be smaller than the estimated 3 million or so who welcomed the pope when he arrived Wednesday in Lima, the country’s capital.

But their enthusiasm will likely more than make up for their smaller numbers as the former Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo returned to this coastal city of nearly 700,000 as the leader of the Catholic Church.

Lines ⁠of cars forced many to walk part of the ​way ⁠to Pampas de Pimentel, a vast desert plain just outside Chiclayo. Along the ‌road, vendors sold hats, mini pope dolls and sweet Peruvian bread.

Maria Esther Chozo Reyes, 76, said she had taken a 12-hour bus ride from Lima and arrived Thursday afternoon before she camped overnight. “He knows the people of Chiclayo and he’s lived here, he’s made his mission here,” she told The Associated Press. “We really need his blessing.”

Leo’s sojourn in Chiclayo is midway through the final leg of his 12-day visit to South America, a historic trip that included stops in Argentina and Uruguay. And it’s the most sentimental part of his journey.

For while Leo was born in Chicago and English is his mother tongue, the first words he uttered from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica was a shoutout in Spanish to his “beloved Diocese of Chiclayo.”

During his time in that city, Leo often repeated a joke: “Chicago, Chiclayo, what difference is there? Only one letter.”

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