LIMA, Peru. Joy and pride swept across Peru on Thursday as the country celebrated the election of Pope Leo XIV, a missionary-turned-bishop with deep ties to the South American nation, as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The new pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru, making him the first pope from either country. Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 and served for nearly a decade as bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru.
As white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel and the announcement of Pope Francis’ successor echoed across the globe, cathedral bells rang in Lima, signaling a historic moment that many Peruvians immediately embraced as their own.
“For us Peruvians, it is a source of pride that this is a pope who represents our country,” said Isabel Panez, an elementary school teacher standing outside the Lima Cathedral. “We would like him to visit us here in Peru.”
Standing for the first time on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV addressed the people of Chiclayo in Spanish, paying tribute to the city he once called home. Chiclayo, a bustling urban center near Peru’s northern Pacific coast, was where Prevost served as bishop from 2014 until 2023, when Pope Francis summoned him to Rome to lead the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops.
“He came from Chicago to Chiclayo, the only difference is a few letters,” recalled Diana Celis, a local who attended Masses celebrated by Prevost during his time in Peru. “That was his way of making us feel like he belonged here.”
Prevost’s tenure in Peru was marked not only by pastoral care but also by hands-on action in times of crisis. Janinna Sesa, who worked with him through the Catholic nonprofit Caritas, recounted his tireless work during the 2022 floods that devastated Chiclayo and nearby communities.
“He is the kind of person who will put on boots and wade through the mud,” Sesa said. “He delivered food and blankets in a white pickup truck, slept on a thin mattress on the floor, and ate the peasant diet of potatoes, cheese, and corn. But if carne asada and Coca-Cola were around, he would gladly enjoy those too.”
Sesa also credited Prevost with spearheading efforts to purchase two oxygen-production plants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed more than 217,000 lives in Peru. “He worked so hard to find help, that there was not only enough for one plant, but for two,” she said.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte praised the newly elected pope in a video message, calling his election a “historic moment” for both Peru and the United States.
“He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture, and dreams of this nation,” Boluarte said, recalling that Prevost’s Peruvian citizenship was “an expression of his profound love for Peru.”
Not all reactions were celebratory. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) raised concerns over Prevost’s handling of clergy abuse complaints during his time as bishop of Chiclayo, particularly in 2022. The Peruvian Bishops’ Conference has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
Still, many in Peru view Pope Leo XIV as a symbol of hope and unity. “That’s a beautiful area, but one of the regions that needs lots of hope,” said Thomas Nicolini, a Peruvian student in Rome, referring to Chiclayo. “Now I’m expecting that the new pope helps as many people as possible, and tries to reignite, let’s say, the faith young people have lost.”
Rev. Edinson Farfán, the current bishop of Chiclayo, described Pope Leo XIV as a man deeply attuned to the Church’s social mission. “He will be very sensitive to the social doctrine of the Church and will undoubtedly be attentive to the signs of the times,” he said.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy, Peruvians across the country are watching with pride, hopeful that one of their own will carry their voice to the heart of the Vatican.
