Peru bursts with pride after their bishop has become pope

She calls the choice of Cardinal Robert Prevost to Pope Leo XIV as historically and describes him as a person who has chosen to become Peruan by conviction.

« He chose to live among us and to carry our faith, our culture and our dreams in his heart, » says Peru’s president.

On the streets of the coastal city of Chiclayo, where Pope Leo Xiv was a bishop for eight years, the parishioners celebrated on the streets under the slogan « El Papa Tiene Corazón Chiclayo », the Pope has a Chiclay-heart. Certainly the Pope was born in Chicago, but moved to Peru as a 30-year-old to mission in the mountain areas around the village of Chulucanas in the northern part of the country. The following year he joined the mission in the coastal city of Trujillo with almost one million inhabitants.

When Robert Prevost after almost 30 years in the country was named Bishop of Chiclayo, he also became a peruvian citizen.

– Prevost used to say that he « came from Chicago to Chiclayo – a single difference was a few letters, » Diana Celis tells the AP news agency.

During the pandemic was peru The country with the highest death rates in Latin America. The government introduced the most stringent restrictions in the region and banned people from moving freely. To shop for food, permission from the authorities was needed. When the atmosphere was at its worst, Robert Prevost decided to wander through Chiclayo’s streets with a cross to bless the residents. He gave comfort to the most needy.

After the rainfall that hit the area three years ago, he also decided to be a present bishop. He waded through clay to help people in Chiclayo, drove out food and blankets to distant villages in the Andes and slept on a thin mattress on the floor. The parish members of his diocese describe him as a bishop who sacrificed his own security so that others feel safer.

Just like Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV is also political. When Peru’s former president and dictator, Alberto Fujimori, was released from prison, despite serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity, the bishop of Chiclayo was clear. Robert Prevost did not accept Fujimori’s half -hearted attempt to apologize for the crimes committed during his time in power.

« It would be more effective to ask for forgiveness, personally, for some of the great injustices committed and for whom he was charged and convicted of, » said Robert Prevost.

Another resemblance to the Argentine Pope is that Pope Leo XIV also lives an ascetic life. He is not stingy with the food. When during his years as a bishop of Chiclayo, he visited Peruvian families in the countryside, he ate by what he was offered – potatoes and sweet corn. His only inclination was to ask for a glass of Coca-Cola. After all, Roberto Prevost was born in the United States.