Chiclayo and the Pope: Robert Prevost's diocese awaits the return of Leo XIV

When he first appeared on the Loggia of Blessings on the evening of 8 May 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed a greeting in Spanish to just one city outside Rome: «Y si me permiten también una palabra, un saludo a todos y en modo particular a mi querida diócesis de Chiclayo, en el Perú, donde un pueblo fiel ha acompañado a su obispo, ha compartido su fe y ha dado tanto, tanto, para seguir siendo Iglesia fiel de Jesucristo» ("And if you also allow me a brief word, a greeting to everyone and in particular to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people has accompanied its Bishop, shared its faith and given so much, so much, to continue being a faithful Church of Jesus Christ", Press Office translation; Holy See Press Office). In November, if the Latin America trip goes ahead, Chiclayo could welcome him back. Since his surgery on 13 October, the Holy See has not yet officially confirmed that the trip will take place as planned.

The years as bishop. Robert Prevost had first come to Peru as an Augustinian missionary in the mid-1980s: chancellor of the Diocese of Chulucanas, then from 1988 ten years in Trujillo, heading his Order's seminary. On 3 November 2014 Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of Chiclayo and titular bishop of Sufar (Press Office, in Italian). He took possession of the diocese on 7 November and was ordained bishop on 12 December, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the cathedral of Santa María (Vatican News, in Spanish). On 26 September 2015 he became bishop of Chiclayo (Press Office, in Italian). He left the diocese when Pope Francis, on 30 January 2023, called him to Rome as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, with the title of archbishop-bishop emeritus of Chiclayo (Vatican News).

Peruvian by choice. In the same years he became a Peruvian citizen. According to Peru's National Superintendency of Migration, he received his naturalisation certificate on 24 August 2015, under a supreme resolution of 17 August; he has renewed his Peruvian passport three times (Migraciones, in Spanish).

The Chiclayo that awaits him. In the programme presented by the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, Chiclayo has two full days (IRTP, in Spanish). The Pope would arrive on Friday 13 November at 9:10 local time, for Mass on the esplanade of the Pampas de Pimentel at 10:30. This would be followed by a private visit to the San Óscar Romero chapel, a meeting with clergy at the shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Paz, another with the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University and dinner with the diocese's priests. On Saturday 14 the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin is planned in the cathedral, then a helicopter flight to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, in the Cajamarca region, for Mass, and in the afternoon prayer in Zaña for the closing of the Jubilee Year of Santo Toribio. On Sunday 15, at 7:50, departure for Cusco: two nights in Chiclayo. The flight itinerary had been published by the Press Office on 21 September (Notice no. 1, in Spanish).

In Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Canal N reports, Prevost used to come every 28 September for Mass in honour of the Señor del Costado; 14 of the 23 hectares of the Pampa de Aviación are being prepared for the papal Mass, and more than 80,000 faithful are expected (Canal N, in Spanish). In Pimentel, the Lambayeque regional government has begun work on 50 hectares for the Mass (Andina, in Spanish). According to Guillermo Inca, national coordinator of the visit, the Pope had also wished to reach Cañaris and Incahuasi, but helicopter surveys found no suitable landing site (TVPerú, in Spanish).

The arroz con pato. On 20 October Inca told Andina that a member of the Pope's entourage had passed on a question: whether the arroz con pato he hopes to taste on his return to Chiclayo will be ready. «Antes, el pueblo de Lambayeque veía a Robert Prevost, un pastor abnegado y sacrificado, pero ahora verá al Sucesor de San Pedro y al representante de la Iglesia Católica» ("The people of Lambayeque used to see Robert Prevost, a selfless and self-sacrificing pastor, but now they will see the Successor of Saint Peter and the representative of the Catholic Church", our translation), Inca said, adding: «El Papa siente al Perú como su casa» ("The Pope feels Peru is his home", our translation) (Andina, in Spanish). In September RPP had reported that the cooking will be done by Magaly Castillo Saavedra, the diocese's cook: cabrito a la chiclayana on the 13th, arroz con pato on the 14th. «Otra vez vamos a tener el privilegio de prepararle y de verlo cerquita y ahora como papa. Imagínese, qué alegría» ("Once again we will have the privilege of cooking for him and seeing him up close, and now as Pope. Imagine, what joy", our translation) (RPP, in Spanish).

What we don't know. After the lung surgery on 13 October, the Holy See has not said whether the 6-17 November trip will remain unchanged. The surgeon Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News there are no "clinical reasons" against it (our translation; Vatican News, in Italian), but this is a medical assessment. The Chiclayo programme therefore also remains subject to confirmation.

Our flash reports: Inca and the arroz con pato; the ambulance helicopter for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba.

Sources: Press Office, 8 May 2025; Press Office, 3 November 2014; Press Office, 26 September 2015; Vatican News; Migraciones; IRTP; Andina; RPP; Canal N; TVPerú.

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