Pope Leo XIV returned to Chiclayo on Friday gathering 500,000 faithful at the Pampas de Pimentel for a massive outdoor Mass during his apostolic journey to Peru.
Thousands of residents waited for hours under the intense northern sun of Peru to greet the pontiff in a city that served as his home for eight years.
Robert Prevost arrived in the country as a missionary in 1985 and spent more than twenty years building deep ties within local communities before his election to the papacy on May 8, 2025. The 71-year-old Pope insisted on traveling from the Vatican to fulfill his South American mission despite recently undergoing surgery.
The journey marks the final leg of the Pope’s first Latin American tour, which previously included Uruguay and Argentina. Ahead of his arrival in Chiclayo, the pontiff addressed more than 52,000 young people at the Estadio Nacional in Lima on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Return to Chiclayo
“¡Qué alegría volver a Chiclayo! Es una bendición para mí estar de nuevo con ustedes,” the Pope said at the start of the gathering, as reported by El Tiempo. The Vatican estimated the attendance at the Pampas de Pimentel explanada at half a million people.
A choir of 600 voices accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra performed during the ceremony. More than one hundred priests assisted in distributing communion to the crowds who lined the streets to watch the papamóvil pass.
Former Caritas Chiclayo director Janinna Sesa worked alongside Prevost during his tenure as bishop, navigating crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. “Siempre estuvimos en primera línea, sobre todo en desastres como el fenómeno costero. Él era la persona que se ponía sus botas y entraba al agua, ayudaba a la gente. Era muy cercano y muy bueno,” Sesa told CNN en Español.
During the Mass, the pontiff expressed gratitude for the prayers offered for his health during recent challenges. He also addressed contemporary obstacles facing the Church, citing religious indifference, materialism, and egoism.
Prevost Traveled to Andean Communities and Supported the CVR
During his time as a bishop in the region, Prevost famously traveled on horseback to reach isolated Andean communities. He also helped collect signatures for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), which investigated human rights abuses and violence between 1980 and 2000, particularly in rural areas. During his address to the youth in Lima, the Pope reflected on the Passion of the Lord, describing the cross as an “instrument of death” that became the place where Jesus manifested “su amor apasionado, capaz de vencer a la muerte.”
He encouraged the youth to seek the intercession of figures such as Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martín de Porres, Francisco Solano, San Juan Macías, and Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo.
The pontiff concluded that prayer: “Pidámosle al Señor, por intercesión de la Virgen María y de los santos peruanos, que aumente cada día esa confianza, que nos ayude a vivir con pasión nuestra vocación y a permanecer siempre en su amistad.”
Private Visits
Following the open-air service, Pope Leo XIV paid a private visit to the San Óscar Romero chapel in the El Bosque neighborhood of La Victoria. The pontiff previously worked to secure donors to finance the reconstruction of the chapel during his time as bishop of the diocese.
| Event Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of Chiclayo Mass | Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| Venue Location | Pampas de Pimentel, Chiclayo |
| Estimated Attendance | 500,000 faithful (Vatican figures) |
| Previous Role | Bishop of Chiclayo (8 years) |
The itinerary for the six-day pastoral visit includes subsequent stops in Lima, Cusco, and Pucallpa before concluding on Monday, November 16, 2026. The journey highlights longstanding ties forged through decades of missionary work across rural and urban parishes in South America.
