Pope Leo celebrates mass in Chiclayo, the city he served

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an outdoor Mass on Friday at a park in Pimentel, about 10km from the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for eight years before becoming head of the Catholic Church.

The Vatican estimated that more than 1.5 million people gathered for the event, the centrepiece of a 12-day tour of South America, according to the BBC. Some in the crowd arrived 12 hours before the service to hold a vigil, waiting in temperatures above 30C.

The Pope, born Robert Prevost, lived in Peru for long periods between 1985 and 2023 and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015. The South China Morning Post reported that he was elected leader of the Catholic Church in 2025, and that people in Chiclayo still call him "Padre" or "amigo". The city lies 10,700km from Rome.

"Thank you for your affection, support and prayers," the Pope told the crowd, "especially for my health during this time of trial which, with God's help, I am overcoming." He was referring to surgery for lung cancer carried out weeks before the trip.

France 24 reported that the Mass was the centrepiece of his South American visit, which also took in Argentina and Uruguay, and that he declared on 11 November that the country where he served as a missionary for about 20 years was his homeland.

"As I look at your faces, a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord arises in my heart," he said from the stage, "for the blessing you have been and continue to be in my life."

The BBC reported that pilgrims travelled from across Peru and neighbouring countries. Merli Cruz Guerrero, from near the Ecuadorean border, took a bus for several hours and waited overnight. Lisbeth Díaz, a teacher who worked with him while he was bishop, said the Pope had helped Venezuelan migrants obtain residency and work permits.

His time as bishop also included the dissolution of Sodalitium of Christian Life, a Peruvian Catholic organisation that faced decades of sexual abuse allegations. The BBC reported that his handling of that crisis helped earn him the favour of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

Local business owners raised prices and hotels sharply increased room rates, the BBC reported, without putting off those who came for the Mass.