In Peru's north, locals remember Pope Leo driving pick-up, playing tennis, World News
CHICLAYO, Peru —The small city of Chiclayo in northern Peru was bustling with excitement on Friday (May 9), with businesses and locals sharing photos, memories and stories about its most famous former resident: Pope Leo XIV.
The new head of the global Roman Catholic Church was born in Chicago, but spent decades in Peru. He first arrived in 1985 as a young missionary in the mostly impoverished north, spending many of his formative years in the area.
He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 when he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, where he served until 2023.
In the city, people remember him driving a white pick-up truck to help those affected by floods and heavy rains. He played tennis in his free time at the local Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo monastery, always greeted people outside his official residence and celebrated local holidays.
"Nothing could get in his way," Zury Castillo, secretary of the Chiclayo diocese, told Reuters, recalling then-Bishop Robert Prevost helping get oxygen to people during the Covid-19 pandemic and delivering supplies during the wet-season floods.
"He didn't need a driver, he brought bags of food and supplies and handed them out to people crossing through waters," added Castillo, who worked closely with the bishop.
"Later, when he became cardinal, we told him, 'the next step is pope'. He'd laugh and shake his head. But in our hearts something told us that after he left he'd become pope."
Castillo recalled the pope enjoying local music and singing. He said Leo loved Peruvian Creole tunes and sang classic songs like Mi Peru and Alma, corazon y vida.
On Thursday, a newspaper-stand in front of Chiclayo's cathedral was filled with magazines and broadsheets leading with news of the election of the new pope. "The pope is Peruvian and misses ceviche," one headline read, a reference to a popular Peruvian dish. "The pope is Chiclayano," read another. 'The Pope ate here'
One nearby restaurant advertised what it said was the pope's favourite breakfast, a fried pork dish with potatoes and an onion relish called Frito Chiclayano.
Next door, the Las Americas restaurant claimed the pope's favourite dish was their fried chicken chicharron with homemade sauce. "The pope ate here," read a blackboard outside.
Rodrigo Cuoto, the restaurant's manager, said the then-Prevost would eat at the restaurant with other members of the clergy and was supportive of the city's youth, always offering guidance.
"He gave me a lot of advice," Cuoto said. "Always do good, always be thankful, thank God and always be grateful."
Cuoto said the pope was close to his grandmother, the founder of the restaurant, celebrating her birthday with her and her church friends. She even had his contact on WhatsApp, Cuoto said.
"Her happiness on hearing the news, she was beaming," Cuoto said.
Marisela Roalcaba, a 73-year-old retiree outside the cathedral, commented with approval on how the new pope had spoken some Spanish during his first speech and greeted "his beloved Chiclayo".
"As a Chiclayo native, he has given me great joy," she said.
Inside a mass at the cathedral, Cecilia Pataz was delighted at the choice of pontiff, who replaced Argentine Pope Francis who died last month at the age of 88.
"[Prevost] was a very lovely father ever since he arrived in Chiclayo. We loved him a lot here and we still do," she said.
ALSO READ: Prevost, first US pope, supported Francis and shunned spotlight
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Loretta Swit, ‘Hot Lips' Houlihan in hit TV series M*A*S*H, dies at age 87
Emmy Award-winning Loretta Swit played army combat nurse Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the acclaimed TV series M*A*S*H, set during the Korean War of the 1950s. PHOTO: REUTERS NEW YORK - Loretta Swit, the Emmy Award-winning actress who played no-nonsense US army combat nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the hit TV series M*A*S*H for more than a decade, died on May 30 at the age of 87. Swit, a mainstay of one of the most successful and acclaimed series in US television history, died at her home in New York City from what was suspected to be natural causes, her publicist, Harlan Boll, said. Swit earned two best supporting actress Emmys and 10 nominations for her role as "Hot Lips," the lusty, tough but vulnerable, patriotic Army career nurse in the series that ran from 1972-1983. As the only regular female character in the groundbreaking show set in the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War of the 1950s, "Hot Lips" endured the insults, pranks and practical jokes of the fun-loving male surgeons. The show's cast also included Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Gary Burghoff, David Ogden Stiers and Jamie Farr. Swit defined her role by playing a strong, determined, independent woman, who had input into the development and storyline of her character, including her split from her married lover Major Frank Burns, hilariously played by Linville, and her own wedding and divorce. She appeared in nearly all of the more than 250 episodes and the series finale, which was the most watched episode of any TV series in history when the show ended in 1983. The TV series was based on the real-life experiences of an Army surgeon, who penned the 1968 book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, and on director Robert Altman's 1970 black comedy film of the same name. "While we were shooting, even from the very beginning, we were aware of how very special it was," Swit said about the series, in a 2017 interview with Fox News. "The symbiosis, the camaraderie, the love and respect we had for each other." Always wanted to perform Loretta Swit was born on Nov 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey. After finishing school, and against her strict parents' objections, she began training as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She worked as a stenographer while auditioning for roles. "The first thought I ever had in my head was being an actress. I can't remember ever not wanting to perform,' she told the Star magazine in a 2010 interview. The tall, blonde stage and TV star was a strict vegetarian and animal lover. She started her career in theatre and appeared in guest roles in TV dramas such as Gunsmoke, Mannix, Bonanza and the original Hawaii Five-O, before landing her signature role. M*A*S*H was a groundbreaking show set in the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War of the 1950s, and ran from 1972 to 1983. PHOTO: FOX Swit also originated the character of Detective Christine Cagney in the pilot for Cagney & Lacey, but could not take on the role in the TV series because of her contract with M*A*S*H. The actress made her Broadway debut in Same Time, Next Year in 1975. She performed in the musical Mame on tour and starred in the one-woman play Shirley Valentine more than 1,000 times over three decades. "Acting is not hiding to me, it's revealing. We give you licence to feel," she said, in an interview with Star magazine in 2010. "That's the most important thing in the world, because when you stop feeling, that's when you're dead.' After M*A*S*H, Swit appeared in TV movies, on game shows and on the stage and in films but she never found the same level of fame. She also devoted herself to animal rights and was a former spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States. She married actor Dennis Holahan, who played a Swedish diplomat in an episode of M*A*S*H, in 1983. The couple divorced in 1995 and had no children. Although M*A*S*H ended decades ago, Swit found new generations of fans through syndication of the series. "The show has never been off the air! A lot of people don't realise that," Swit told the Huffington Post in 2018. "I've seen it in Thailand, in Egypt... It's a phenomenon." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Loretta Swit, 'Hot Lips' Houlihan on 'M*A*S*H,' dies at 87
FILE PHOTO: Actor Loretta Swit poses during the Metropolitan Fashion Week's Closing Gala & Awards Show at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, U.S. October 1, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok NEW YORK - Loretta Swit, the Emmy Award-winning actress who played no-nonsense U.S. Army combat nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the hit TV series "M*A*S*H" for more than a decade, died on Friday at the age of 87. Swit, a mainstay of one of the most successful and acclaimed series in U.S. television history, died at her home in New York City from what was suspected to be natural causes, her publicist, Harlan Boll, said. Swit earned two best supporting actress Emmys and 10 nominations for her role as "Hot Lips," the lusty, tough but vulnerable, patriotic Army career nurse in the series that ran from 1972-1983. As the only regular female character in the groundbreaking show set in the fictional 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War of the 1950s, "Hot Lips" endured the insults, pranks and practical jokes of the fun-loving male surgeons. The show's cast also included Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Larry Linville, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Gary Burghoff, David Ogden Stiers and Jamie Farr. Swit defined her role by playing a strong, determined, independent woman, who had input into the development and storyline of her character, including her split from her married lover Major Frank Burns, hilariously played by Linville, and her own wedding and divorce. She appeared in nearly all of the more than 250 episodes and the series finale, which was the most watched episode of any TV series in history when the show ended in 1983. The TV series was based on the real-life experiences of an Army surgeon, who penned the 1968 book "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors," and on director Robert Altman's 1970 black comedy film of the same name. "While we were shooting, even from the very beginning, we were aware of how very special it was," Swit said about the series in a 2017 interview with Fox News. "The symbiosis, the camaraderie, the love and respect we had for each other." ALWAYS WANTED TO PERFORM Loretta Swit was born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey. After finishing school, and against her strict parents' objections, she began training as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She worked as a stenographer while auditioning for roles. "The first thought I ever had in my head was being an actress. I can't remember ever not wanting to perform,' she told the Star magazine in a 2010 interview. The tall, blonde stage and TV star was a strict vegetarian and animal lover. She started her career in theater and appeared in guest roles in TV dramas such as "Gunsmoke," "Mannix," "Bonanza" and the original "Hawaii Five-O," before landing her signature role. Swit also originated the character of Detective Christine Cagney in the pilot for "Cagney & Lacey" but could not take on the role in the TV series because of her contract with "M*A*S*H". The actress made her Broadway debut in "Same Time, Next Year" in 1975. She performed in the musical "Mame" on tour and starred in the one-woman play "Shirley Valentine" more than 1,000 times over three decades. "Acting is not hiding to me, it's revealing. We give you license to feel," she said in an interview with the Star magazine in 2010. "That's the most important thing in the world, because when you stop feeling, that's when you're dead.' After "M*A*S*H" Swit appeared in TV movies, on game shows and on the stage and in films but she never found the same level of fame. She also devoted herself to animal rights and was a former spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States. She married actor Dennis Holahan, who played a Swedish diplomat in an episode of "M*A*S*H," in 1983. The couple divorced in 1995 and had no children. Although "M*A*S*H" ended decades ago, Swit found new generations of fans through syndication of the series. "The show has never been off the air! A lot of people don't realize that," Swit told the Huffington Post in 2018. "I've seen it in Thailand, in Egypt ... It's a phenomenon." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
In Ukraine's Kharkiv, ballet offers 'rebirth' after bombs and bullets
A firefighter works amidst ruins caused by a Russian drone strike in an industrial area, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine March 27, 2025. \"In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else - we can give a gift of something wonderful to people,\" said ballerina Antonina Radiievska, 43. \"They can come and, even if it's just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world.\" REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura A ballerina prepares for practising the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 25, 2025. \"In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else - we can give a gift of something wonderful to people,\" said ballerina Antonina Radiievska, 43. \"They can come and, even if it's just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world.\" REUTERS/Marko Djurica A ballerina sits during a practise for the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 25, 2025. \"In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else - we can give a gift of something wonderful to people,\" said ballerina Antonina Radiievska, 43. \"They can come and, even if it's just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world.\" REUTERS/Marko Djurica Ballerina Olena Shliahina, 38, poses for a picture after practising for the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 27, 2025. \"When we started performing here, I felt very happy because we finally went out to our audience,\" said Shliahina. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Ballerina Olha Sharikova, 35, poses for a picture after practising for the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 27, 2025. \"We are waiting for peace,\" said Sharikova. \"My parents are here, we were very happy to return.\" REUTERS/Marko Djurica Ballerina Yulia Litvinova, 19, poses for a picture after practising for the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 27, 2025. \"I'm pleased to feel that there is supposedly no war. Everything is almost as it was before the war,\" said Litvinova. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Ballerinas practise for the revival of 'Chopiniana,' the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in the underground area of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre amid ongoing attacks, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 26, 2025. \"In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else - we can give a gift of something wonderful to people,\" said ballerina Antonina Radiievska, 43. \"They can come and, even if it's just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world.\" REUTERS/Marko Djurica KHARKIV, Ukraine - In the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, it's hard to escape the war with Russia. On some days, when the wind blows in the right direction, residents of the historic city can hear the boom of artillery fire from the front line, some 30 km (20 miles) away. Most nights, Russian kamikaze drones packed with explosives buzz over apartment buildings as parents put their children to bed. Frequently - but unpredictably - a Russian ballistic missile will slam into the city. Three years on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, for many people in Kharkiv, the war with its unrelenting, inescapable proximity, takes a mental toll. But there is a space in the city where – for a few fleeting hours – the war stops existing. In the dark, brick-walled basement of the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, a dance company has created a space protected from drones and bombs where audiences can lose themselves in performances of classic ballets. In April, the space was host to performances of "Chopiniana", an early 20th-century ballet with music by Frederic Chopin. Despite the makeshift setting, the ballet was performed with full classical pomp, complete with corps de ballet and orchestra. That marked a milestone for Kharkiv's cultural life because it was the first full performance of a classical ballet in the city since February 2022, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine. "In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones, and everything else - we can give a gift of something wonderful to people," said Antonina Radiievska, artistic director of Opera East, the ballet company which staged the performance. "They can come and, even if it's just for an hour or two, completely immerse themselves in a different world." Despite Ukraine's history of excellence in classical ballet, the art form seems far removed from the everyday lives of Ukrainians in wartime. Daily routines are given over to checking apps for drone attack warnings, sleeping on the metro station floor to escape an air raid or seeking news of relatives on the front line. Pirouettes, pas-de-deux and chiffon tutus feel a world away. NEW NORMAL Nevertheless, the journey of Kharkiv's ballet through the war mirrors the ways Ukrainian society has adapted and evolved. On February 23, 2022, the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre put on a performance of the ballet "Giselle". The following day, Russia launched its full-scale invasion. As Moscow's troops reached the outskirts of Kharkiv and threatened to capture the city, the theatre closed its doors and many of the ballet troupe moved away. Some of them reassembled in Slovakia and Lithuania, and began touring ballet productions outside Ukraine with help from European sponsors. By 2023, the war was grinding on, but the situation in Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, had stabilised after Russian ground forces pulled back. The realisation dawned on the city that this was a long game, a new, wartime reality. Local people started referring to the city - and themselves - using the Ukrainian word "nezlamniy", meaning invincible. It was that year that work began on converting the theatre basement into a performance space. In October 2023, it began to be used as a rehearsal space. In spring the following year, the theatre was granted permission to bring in an audience, and it held small-scale ballet performances such as children's concerts. The revival of "Chopiniana" represents the next milestone in Kharkiv's wartime cultural journey. Staging a classical opera again sends a message that Ukraine is still standing, according to Igor Tuluzov, Director-General of Opera East, the company staging the production. "We are demonstrating to the world that we really are a self-sufficient state, independent, in all its aspects, including cultural independence," he said. The auditorium seats 400 people on stackable chairs, compared to 1,750 in the main theatre upstairs, where the plush mustard seats lie empty. The stage downstairs is one quarter the size of the main stage. The aesthetic is grey-painted brick, concrete floors, pipes and electricity ducting running along the walls - a contrast to the varnished hardwood and marble of the space upstairs. The acoustic qualities of the basement, say the performers, don't match the lofty expanses of the main theatre. What matters to artistic director Radiievska, though, is that after a long hiatus, she and her troupe can once again perform at their best, in front of an audience. "It means, you know, life," she said. "An artist cannot exist without the stage, without creativity, without dance or song. It's like a rebirth." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
