Pope Leo XIV Draws 1.5 Million to Mass in Former Peruvian Diocese

Pope Leo XIV celebrated mass before an estimated 1.5 million people near the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo on Friday, returning to the diocese he led before his election to the papacy. According to Vatican figures, the open-air service in Pimentel marked one of the largest gatherings of his current Latin American tour, which has also included stops in Argentina and Uruguay.

The venue in Pimentel, located ten kilometres from Chiclayo, drew crowds from across Peru and neighbouring South American countries. Many attendees spent the night outdoors in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius prior to the pontiff's arrival. Local authorities reported that the influx of visitors effectively doubled the population of the Chiclayo metropolitan area, which normally stands at around 800,000 residents.

The pontiff maintains long-standing ties to Peru, having lived in the country for extended periods between 1985 and 2023 and holding Peruvian citizenship since 2015. He served as the bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 until 2023 under his birth name, Robert Prevost. Samuel David Miranda Atoche, a local parish priest ordained by Prevost during his episcopal tenure, stated that the now-pontiff was instrumental in bringing Peruvian faithful closer to the Catholic Church.

During his eight years as bishop of Chiclayo, Prevost engaged in local humanitarian initiatives, including the establishment of soup kitchens during the Covid-19 pandemic and flood relief efforts in the region. Lisbeth Díaz, a teacher who collaborated with the diocese, noted that the former bishop coordinated directly with Peruvian migration authorities to help Venezuelan refugees obtain legal residency and employment documentation. Prevost also oversaw the local response to the scandal surrounding the Sodalitium of Christian Life, a Peruvian Catholic organization dissolved following decades of sexual abuse allegations.

Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo observed that Prevost's management of the Sodalitium crisis played a significant role in earning the trust of his predecessor, Pope Francis. In his official address to the assembled congregation in Pimentel, Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to the crowd, stating: As I look at your faces, a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord arises in my heart, for the blessing you have been and continue to be in my life.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com