Pope Leo XIV made a triumphant return to the Peruvian city of Chiclayo on Friday during the final leg of his 12-day South America tour. The Chicago-born pope, who served as the city's bishop for eight years and was affectionately nicknamed Padre Roberto, was welcomed by massive crowds. The Vatican estimated that 1 million people gathered along the route of the pope's motorcade, with approximately 500,000 faithful attending an outdoor Mass.
The event served as the centerpiece of the tour, which had faced cancellation fears following the pope's surgery for lung cancer. Expressing that it was a joy to be back in his second home, the pope met with local clergy and university students and visited a chapel he helped rebuild. Crowds chanted, "The pope is Chiclayan!" and "Chiclayo is with you!" as they celebrated the return of the man who shaped the city.
Following the events in Chiclayo, Pope Leo traveled on Saturday to Peru's western Andean mountains. He made a special stop in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, a remote town of under 6,000 inhabitants. The town is located a four-hour drive from Chiclayo, and the residents once knew him as their bishop.