Pope Leo XIV celebrates outdoor Mass in Chiclayo with 1.5 million attendees
Pope Leo XIV leads an outdoor Mass on Friday in Chiclayo, Peru, with the Vatican estimating about 1.5 million participants and temperatures reaching 31 °C. The 71‑year‑old pontiff, born Robert Prevost and naturalised Peruvian in 2015, is concluding a 12‑day South American tour that included visits to Uruguay, Argentina and a prayer vigil in Lima that drew roughly 60 000 inside the stadium and 300 000 outside. He previously served as Bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023 and will remain in the city until Sunday for additional events.
Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV met six survivors of clergy abuse at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lima, a meeting lasting over an hour.
- Chiclayo has a population of about 620 000, making it Peru's fourth‑largest city.
- Officials in Chiclayo estimated that up to one million people could attend the Mass.
- More than 50 000 young people waited to see the pope at Lima's National Stadium on Thursday.
- All four grandstands and the pitch at the National Stadium were packed during the vigil.
Summarised with AI from 5 sources · Updated 05:11Read our AI policy
Why it matters
The Mass marks the climax of a high‑profile papal tour across Latin America.
What changed
Summary updated
Summary updated
First published from Daily Maverick, Buenos Aires Times, MercoPress, Al Jazeera English and Anadolu Agency