'God loves Peru': Country celebrates new Pope as one of their own

Halfway done Leo XIV's archetypal code arsenic pope, which helium delivered successful Italian, helium stopped and asked if helium mightiness accidental a fewer words successful Spanish.

Smiling, helium continued: "A greeting to each and successful peculiar to my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, successful Peru."

The archetypal American pope is simply a national of Peru and has spent overmuch of his beingness there, travelling betwixt the 2 countries for decades until 2014, erstwhile Pope Francis appointed him bishop of the Chiclayo Diocese successful the country's north.

On Thursday, Peruvians rejoiced astatine the assignment of 1 of their ain to the highest presumption successful the Catholic church.

Standing adjacent Lima's cathedral soon aft bells rang retired successful solemnisation of the appointment, simple schoolhouse teacher Isabel Panez said: "For america Peruvians, it is simply a root of pridefulness that this is simply a pope who represents our country."

Prevost would often accidental that helium had "come from Chicago to Chiclayo – the lone quality is simply a fewer letters," Diana Celis, who attended respective Masses officiated by the past Bishop Robert Prevost, told the Associated Press quality agency.

He reportedly referred to Peru, wherever astir 3 quarters of radical are Catholic, arsenic "mi segunda patria" – my 2nd homeland.

Peru's president, Dina Voluarte, described Pope Leo arsenic Peruvian "by prime and conviction".

"The pope is Peruvian; God loves Peru," she said.

Born successful Chicago successful 1955, helium is the lad of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martinez, of Spanish descent.

After completing studies successful theology successful Chicago and successful canon instrumentality successful Rome, the Catholic Church sent him to Peru for the archetypal time.

He arrived astatine the Augustinian ngo successful Chulucanas, successful the Peruvian section of Piura, successful 1985, aged 30, and the pursuing year, joined the ngo successful Trujillo. For astir 3 decades, helium worked betwixt the US and Peru.

Then, successful 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prevost bishop of Chiclayo, a presumption helium assumed the pursuing year, aft becoming a Peruvian citizen.

Jose Luis Perez Guadalupe, who was the curate liable for signing Prevost's naturalisation, told BBC Mundo that helium was "a precise attentive and precise thoughtful man, who listened much than helium spoke."

These were his archetypal encounters with a state that would travel to signifier his life.

Janinna Sesa, who met Prevost portion she worked for the church's Caritas nonprofit, told the Associated Press during torrential rains successful 2022 helium waded done mud to assistance radical successful Chiclayo and adjacent villages.

He besides delivered nutrient and blankets to distant Andean villages, driving a achromatic pickup motortruck and sleeping connected a bladed mattress connected the floor. There, Sesa said, Prevost ate immoderate was offered to him, including the peasant fare consisting of potatoes, food and saccharine corn.

But, if the accidental came up, helium would bask carne asada – 1 of his favourite dishes – accompanied by a solid of Coca-Cola.

He besides had an involvement successful cars. "He has nary occupation fixing a broken-down motortruck until it runs," Sesa said.

Prevost was the driving unit for the acquisition of 2 oxygen-production plants during the coronavirus pandemic, which killed much than 217,000 radical crossed Peru.

"He worked truthful hard to find help, that determination was not lone capable for 1 plant, but for 2 oxygen plants," Sesa said.

Edinson Farfán, the Peruvian Bishop of Chiclayo since 2024, said Pope Leo would proceed Pope Francis's bequest of moving with the mediocre and advocating for "a Church with unfastened doors". He was "very adjacent to Pope Francis", helium said.

"He was undoubtedly profoundly influenced by this peculiar Church of Chiclayo. Chiclayo is simply a metropolis that greatly values the elemental religion of its people. He has a peculiar affection for the diocese."

"It's his beloved diocese, it's his life. He learned present everything helium tin stock and volition stock with the full world."

But not each successful the state are arrogant of his record.

Serious accusations person been made astir his handling of intersexual maltreatment cases during his clip arsenic Bishop of Chiclayo.

In 2023, 3 Peruvian women went nationalist with claims that arsenic bishop helium failed to analyse their reports of having been abused arsenic teenagers by 2 priests successful Chiclayo, dating backmost to 2007. They said that erstwhile they raised their allegations with the diocese successful 2022, nary due enquiry was opened.

Church officials successful Chiclayo said that enactment was taken and the accused priests were enactment connected precautionary suspension, and that the lawsuit was referred to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles superior maltreatment cases.

The diocese said it was Rome's determination to shelve the lawsuit without a afloat canonical proceedings and that it conducted a preliminary investigation.

These allegations astir his enactment are 1 of the challenges helium volition look arsenic helium present heads the Church worldwide.

Perez Guadalupe said that portion Prevost chiefly remained focused connected religion matters successful Peru, helium was "very attentive to the reality" of the country.

In 2023, erstwhile convulsive anti-government protests pursuing the ousting of then-president Pedro Castillo near 49 dead, Prevost told Peruvian media helium felt "much sorrow and overmuch pain".

That year, Pope Francis called Prevost to Rome to service arsenic the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the almighty caput of the bureau that vets bishop nominations from astir the satellite and 1 of the astir important jobs successful the Catholic Church. He was besides appointed president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Prevost said that helium had asked Pope Francis to let him to stay successful Peru longer.

As helium heard Prevost was the caller pope, Thomas Nicolini, a Peruvian who studies economics successful Rome, went to St. Peter's Square.

He told the AP that Chiclayo is, "A beauteous area, but 1 of the regions that needs tons of hope."

"So, present I'm expecting that the caller pope helps arsenic galore radical arsenic possible, and tries to reignite, let's say, the religion young radical person lost."