In some of his first words to the world on May 8, newly-elected Pope Leo XIV recalled the land where he worked as a missionary from 1985 to 1998. “And if you will allow me a word, a greeting to all those… in a particular way to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru,” he said. Known as the “city of friendship,” Chiclayo is located in northern Peru, about 500 miles from the capital, Lima. Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator and then bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo in 2014 and 2015 respectively. As bishop of Chiclayo and later as apostolic administrator of Callao, he also served as vice president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference (CEP by its Spanish acronym). Father Guillermo Inca Pereda, deputy secretary of the CEP who worked closely with Pope Leo, shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, that “the excitement of hearing Cardinal Robert Prevost’s name called as pope, pastor of the universal Church, was truly indescribable, an unforgettable moment.” “We worked with him, we shared many moments of decision-making in my role at the general secretariat. We have had many opportunities to converse, and I have been able to discover his prudence, his perseverance, his tenacity, and that simplicity that characterizes him, but always with great depth to resolve any issue, any situation, no matter how sensitive,” he added. “He particularly helped me make decisions that were necessary in my daily work,” the Peruvian priest emphasized. Pope Leo in Peru The Augustinians in Peru serve in the vicariates of Iquitos in the Amazon region, San Agustín de...
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