Pope Leo returns to Chiclayo on final South America leg
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Chiclayo, Peru, on Friday, 13 Nov, returning to the city where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023. He was greeted with a sign reading "#LeonXIVVuelaACasa" and a small dance troupe. The stop closes a 12-day South American tour that also took in Argentina and Uruguay. A mass on the Pampas de Pimentel is expected to draw around one million pilgrims, and the pope will then visit a chapel in a poor neighbourhood and meet clergy, university staff and students. Earlier in Lima, crowds were estimated at about 3 million.
Key facts
- Vendors along the route to Pampas de Pimentel sold hats, miniature pope dolls and sweet bread.
- As bishop, Leo led the purchase of oxygen production plants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The pope leads about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
- In Lima, the pope urged diplomacy that respects international law amid wars, without naming any country.
Summarised with AI from 5 sources · Updated 00:53Read our AI policy
Why it matters
The visit marks the last stop of a long tour and a return to a diocese the pope led for eight years.
What changed
Summary updated
First published from Euronews, Africanews, ABC News (US), MercoPress and The Straits Times