Pope Leo Peru Visit Pontiff Returns to Remote Andean Town Where He Served as Bishop

Pope Leo travelled to Peru’s western Andean mountains on Saturday to visit a remote town whose residents knew him as the bishop of Chiclayo, a major city about four hours away.

The visit formed part of his 12-day South America tour and marked an emotional return for the first Peruvian citizen to become pope.

Leo travelled around 100 kilometres (62 miles) east from the Pacific coast to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, a journey he made several times while serving as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. On previous visits, he used winding mountain roads that pass along steep ravines. This time, he arrived by helicopter.

A local band welcomed him with the song, “Pope Leo, welcome home”, as crowds gathered in a field for Mass. Murals depicting him during his years as a bishop decorated buildings in the town centre, which features Spanish colonial-style architecture.

Originally from Chicago, Leo spent about 20 years in Peru as a missionary. He holds both US and Peruvian citizenship.

Peru is the final and most personal stop on his three-country South American tour, which has attracted crowds estimated at around 12 million people.

Santa Cruz is in the Cajamarca region, one of Peru’s poorest areas. According to the country’s state statistics office, up to 40 per cent of its population lives in poverty.

Speaking at a local parish shortly after arriving on Saturday, Leo said he felt “great joy” at returning to the town.

“It is like a very big dream that the Lord has allowed this servant to come here,” he said.

Leo later celebrated Mass in a field near the parish. The Vatican estimated that around 20,000 people attended the service. Although the crowd was smaller than those at other events during his South America tour, many present already knew him from his previous visits to the rural community.

Among them was local priest Rev. Kevin Noriega, whom Leo ordained in 2018 when he was known as Bishop Robert Prevost.

Noriega said Leo enjoyed driving himself and used to travel to the community in a pick-up truck, sometimes staying for several days.

“There is enormous hope and emotion today,” Noriega said. “People are eager to experience this Holy Mass … because after so much time they will be able to see their bishop — ‘Father Robert,’ as they used to call him — now as the Holy Father.”

During his sermon, Leo thanked residents for travelling to see him and urged them not to lose heart despite life’s difficulties.

“Brothers and sisters, the Lord knows the paths you travel, your hardships, your worries and the challenges you face,” he said. “When strength is lacking, he is your nourishment.”

Leo was due to return to Chiclayo on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, his penultimate day in Peru, he is scheduled to visit Cusco, the former Inca capital, and Pucallpa, a gateway to the Amazonian jungle.