Pope returns to ‘beloved’ Peruvian hometown

Pope Leo XIV has returned to Chiclayo, Peru, where he served as bishop for nearly a decade, in the emotional centrepiece of his South American tour. The visit matters to residents who remember him for his close ties to local communities and his support during the pandemic and natural disasters.

Leo, a US-born pontiff who holds Peruvian citizenship, is due to celebrate Mass on a desert plain, with around a million pilgrims expected, and meet clergy and Catholic university students. He will also privately visit a chapel he helped rebuild; despite lung cancer surgery last month, his tour has continued through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.