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CNN
12-05-2025
- General
- CNN
Pope! Amigo! Peruvians remember the young American priest who became pope
Chiclayo's main plaza was raucous with the sounds of hammering and music, people milling in anticipation as the scaffolding went up for vast digital screens in front of the city cathedral. Saturday's open-air mass would be a very special one: a celebration marking the ascendency of Pope Leo XIV, the world's first American pope – but better known here as Robert, the world's first Chiclayano pope. Through the cathedral's open doors, a line of women formed in front of the confessional in preparation for the big evening. A children's chorus performed on the steps, competing with the thumping bass of secular life down the street, where two men in short shorts were leading a dance class. Banners draped around the square showed Leo's smiling face, 10 feet high. Signs outside a local restaurant touted its goat stew as his favorite lunch order, back when he lived here. Inside the cathedral, Amalia Cruzado, 52, silently sobbed in the pews, her arms outstretched. 'It's a day of miracles. Chiclayo is so blessed,' she said. After praying, she would head home and pick up the rest of her family to attend the evening mass; her elderly father, suffering from cancer, desperately needed a miracle for his health. Pope Leo was born in the United States as Robert Prevost, but for his adopted nation of Peru – where he acquired citizenship in 2015 – he is a Chiclayano, a son of the bustling northern Peruvian city where he served as bishop for years, after working as a priest in the countryside. Here, everyone has a story about him. Back in the 1980s, Nicanor Palacios was an altar boy with Leo during his early priesthood in nearby Piura, and traveled the area with him for services. 'Being the junior priest, he was often sent out in the field,' recalled Palacios, now an airforce technician. 'He would take us out in the parish's jeep to have lunch.' 'It wasn't hard for him to fit in. There was a small village back then, called Kilometer 50, on the Pan-American Highway. He'd take us there for dry meat and fried plantains. He liked that type of stuff and liked to go to the country. He'd eat just like a northern Peru farmer: yucca, fried fish, maybe a bite of fried meat.' 'What I liked most was his advice, because many young people, even back then, they would get lost, but he was just a young man, 24 or 25 years old, very serious and full of advice,' said Palacios, whose mother died when he was young and for whom Leo and the other altar boys become a second family, he says. Many years later, as a bishop in Chiclayo, Leo's accent was still 'very American,' according to local priest Emerson Lizana, 30, but his presence felt deeply familiar in this northern Peruvian outpost. 'The way he treated people, his presence enveloped you in a sense of trust. He had a Latin American heart,' Lizana said, describing how the then-bishop became part of the daily life of Chiclayo, visiting the city's poorest neighborhoods and carrying a cross through deserted streets during the Covid-19 pandemic. Chiclayo is a city famous for the fervor of its faithful, even in deeply Catholic Peru. According to a 2017 census, Peru's population is 90% Christian and 76% Catholic – more than Italy and far more than in Leo's native United States, where Catholics are under 20%. Leo, widely considered a progressive pope and ideological successor to Pope Francis, worked closely with the neediest in Chiclayo, coordinating local NGOs, churches and religious groups in the late 2010s to assist a flood of Venezuelans fleeing political chaos and economic collapse in their home country. But his tenure has not been without criticism – three women allegedly abused by a local priest released a letter in September last year accusing Leo of failing to fully investigate their claims while he was bishop. The new pope has also been called upon by Catholics for Choice to change his views on abortion; an X account under Prevost's name previously shared articles critical of reproductive rights and 'gender ideology.' Liz Medrano, from the region's Moshikas Diversas LGBTQI+ advocacy group, told CNN that she feared Leo's appointment could fuel religious conservatism in the country. 'We are very worried. As you may have noticed, there is a lot of emotion in the province and in the region about the appointment of the Pope who was from Chiclayo. Ultra-conservativism, fundamentalism, new movements can emerge from evangelical and Catholic roots,' she said. 'Above all it is the Church that has maintained this idea of being against abortions, that abortion is also a sin, that it is murder. And this continues to be referred to and repeated by the Peruvian authorities.' Abortion access is heavily restricted in Peru; in 2023, the United Nations accused Peru's government of violating the rights of a 13-year-old girl who was refused an abortion following years of rape by her father, and then imprisoned by local authorities after she miscarried. Still, for a pope, Leo's social progressivism in other areas is seen locally as an overall 'good direction' by some rights advocates. 'We don't expect that suddenly the Pope goes out and defends the rights of women, but perhaps he will take a position that is a bit more human, and less stigmatizing of women who interrupt their pregnancies,' said Rossina Vasquez, director of a women's rights group in Peru. An interest in seeking truth and justice is part of the worldview of Augustinian priests like Leo, according to Friar Pipé, teacher at an Augustinian-run school in the outskirts of Chiclayo. 'For us Augustinians, God is the truth, and for us searching for the truth is searching for God,' said Pipé. 'What I hope is that Leo can be a pope who becomes a sign of unity for the church: we can always do better, through dialogue and understanding, both inside our Church and with other religions,' he added. Pipé, 30, was personally ordained by Leo in 2023 and blessed him in return per tradition; a blessing that he now jokes may have played some role in Leo's chances during the Vatican's conclave to select a new pope last week. He remembers watching a broadcast of the process on YouTube as it played out in Rome, his fellow Augustinians erupting in whoops of joy and triumph when Leo's name was called out. With a Chiclayano pope, now anything is possible, Pipé joked. 'Let's see,' he laughed. 'When Benedict was the Pope, Germany won the World Cup. Then Francis was the Pope, and Argentina won… now, Robert is Pope, either Peru or the USA are going to win the World Cup.' But for believers like Amalia Cruzado, who have little but their faith, the sense that this is a particularly blessed time for Chiclayo is no laughing matter. In her modest neighborhood, where Cruzado says children often go hungry or cannot afford shoes, dust rose on Saturday evening as a taxi bumped down the unpaved street, the decal on its rear window reading 'La Bendición de Dios.' It was finally time for the evening mass. Her family of eight piled in – freshly dressed and coiffed, from her 9-month-old grandson to her 79-year-old father – for a hair-rising ride through traffic back to the darkening square. Street lights flickered on as they arrived, police still hard at work cordoning off the cathedral's steps for the night's rituals. Cruzado hoisted her grandson in one arm and shepherded her father toward the front, past crowds taking selfies in front of the Pope's illuminated likeness. Soon prayers would begin, followed by a familiar order: readings from the Bible, the homily by Chiclayo's new bishop, communion. 'Papa! Amigo! El pueblo esta contigo!' congregants chanted in the crowd, blasting airhorns and lifting their children in the air as if it were a home team game. 'Pope! Friend! The people are with you! 'Let me tell you, the Pope has two hearts: one is for where he was born, but the other one is for here, for us, the humble people of Chiclayo,' Cruzado said. 'He is our Pope.'
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Cheers, Chants and a ‘Dance of the Little Devils' for Pope Leo in Peru
The ceremony to honor Pope Leo XIV in the Peruvian city where he served as bishop for roughly eight years began on Saturday night with a procession of altar boys and priests. It ended long past dark with dancers in devil costumes swirling on the steps of his former church. In between, there was a Mass, communion, many hymns, a student band, a chorus, fireworks, a musical performance by one of the priests — cheered like a rock star in a white robe — and chant after chant about the 'papa Chiclayano,' the pope from Chiclayo. Chiclayo, in northern Peru, is the country's fifth-largest city and was the pope's home from 2014 to 2023. Here he is known for traveling the region's mountains and coast for long hours by car, and occasionally on horseback, and for his forceful sermons in fluent Spanish. To celebrate him, hundreds of people filled the lush plaza in front of the city's towering, yellowing cathedral. There were nuns in white habits and church groups in matching vests. Flanking the cathedral doors were two giant banners with pictures of a smiling Pope Leo. The swirling dancers — performing the 'dance of the little devils of Túcume,' a nearby region — were the capstone event. Fireworks shot out of a headdress worn by the principal devil, who fought an angel. Several who were present called the dance a representation of the battle between good and evil. In the religious segment of the event, tambourines rattled as the new bishop of Chiclayo, Edinson Farfán, took to the microphone. He recalled the pope as 'a shepherd who smelled of the sheep' — a phrase used repeatedly in Chiclayo in recent days to refer to Pope Leo as a man who was close to his congregation. 'Leo XIV has taught us to live the Gospel through closeness to the poor, to the most vulnerable, to those who suffer, the migrants, the refugees,' said Bishop Farfán. 'He is a man deeply sensitive to social justice.' Chiclayo has rarely, if ever, had such a celebrity connection, and in recent days it has glittered with excitement. New street signs have gone up: 'Welcome to Chiclayo, the city of Pope Leo XIV.' Restaurants are offering Pope specials. ('Happy Mother's Day!' read the board outside the Trebol, a restaurant next to the cathedral. 'Today: Chiclayan goat, the favorite of Pope Leo XIV. WELCOME!!!') And by the weekend, the regional tourism board had organized a pope tour for the news media, featuring places that figured prominently in the former bishop's time in Chiclayo. Chiclayo was religious before the pope arrived in 2014, and it still is. There are eight separate masses in the main cathedral on Sundays, and hundreds of people attend each one, said Father Jorge Millán, a priest in Chiclayo who is close to the pope. What the pope did was encourage people to take their faith beyond the church and participate in social work, he said. During the ceremony on Saturday, Bishop Farfán said that the pope, as bishop, had 'accompanied the Holy Father Leo XIV on his pilgrimage so that he may now accompany and guide the universal church. From Chiclayo, from Latin America — the continent of hope — to the rest of the world!' The crowd burst into a cheer: 'Papa! Amigo! Chiclayo está contigo!' ('Pope! Friend! Chiclayo stands with you!')
Malay Mail
10-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Church dismisses claims Pope Leo XIV failed to act on abuse cases in Chiclayo, says he ‘respected procedures'
CHICLAYO (Peru), May 10 — Pope Leo XIV's successor as bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru yesterday rejected allegations that the new pontiff ever covered up cases of sexual abuse within the diocese. Chiclayo bishop Edison Farfan told reporters that Leo had 'listened (to the victims) and respected the procedures' of the Church. The new pope had been 'the most sensitive of all within the Peruvian church' to the issue of sexual abuse, Farfan added. The US-born pontiff was bishop of the coastal city from 2015 to 2023, when he was made a cardinal and moved to Rome. Two victim advocacy groups questioned Leo XIV's commitment to addressing sexual violence in the church after he was announced Thursday. Victims' rights group, Bishop Accountability, has also questioned the US-born pontiff's commitment to lifting the lid on the scourge of clerical abuse. The group's co-director Anne Barrett Doyle noted that Leo had 'released no names' of abusers, whether as head of the Augustinian order, bishop of Chiclayo or most recently, as head of the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, advising his predecessor Francis on the appointment of bishops. She labelled his alleged inaction in Chiclayo, where she said two priests had been accused of sexual abuse, as 'most disturbing.' The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), also issued a statement after his election as pope calling on Leo XIV to take action to support victims of sexual violence. In 2022, a priest in the diocese was accused of having sexually assaulted at least three girls. The diocese's head of communications, Fiel Purizaca, told AFP that the priest targeted by the abuse allegations was 'immediately sent home.' Farfan said the allegations were an attempt to 'discredit' the new pontiff and were 'false.' Farfan said the church was still investigating the abuse claims. — AFP
Bloomberg
09-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Peru's Emergency Mining Ban to Cost $200 Million in Lost Gold Output
Peruvian gold output is expected to be significantly dented in the coming month due to a mining ban in a northern region of the country that's seen an up-tick in criminal activity culminating in the murder of 13 mine workers. The central bank estimates that companies will lose about 60,000 ounces of production in the next 30 days, its chief economist Adrian Armas told reporters Friday. That's worth about $200 million at current prices and represents about 20% of the country's total output in the month of February, the most recent production data available.
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
In Peru's north, locals remember Pope Leo driving pick-up, playing tennis
CHICLAYO, Peru, May 9 (Reuters) - The small city of Chiclayo in northern Peru was bustling with excitement on Friday, 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 Perú" and "Alma, corazón 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. One nearby restaurant advertised what it said was the pope's favorite breakfast, a fried pork dish with potatoes and an onion relish called Frito Chiclayano. Next door, the Las Americas restaurant claimed the pope's favorite dish was their fried chicken chicharrón 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.
