Election of Pope Leo XIV celebrated with Mass of Thanksgiving in Peru

In a jubilant atmosphere, more than 10,000 faithful gathered in front of the Basilica and Cathedral of Santa María de Chiclayo in Peru to celebrate a thanksgiving Mass for the election of Pope Leo XIV, who was bishop of the diocese for more than eight years.
The celebration vibrated with joy following the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Martínez — both a U.S. and Peruvian citizen — as successor to Peter on May 8. Dozens of local priests joined Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfán at the celebration. The plaza in front of the cathedral was outfitted with an outdoor platform and altar for the occasion, surrounded by musical bands and giant banners with the image of the pontiff and phrases from his first papal greeting from St. Peter’s Square.
In his homily, Farfán spoke of the profound love the new pontiff has for Peru — a country he first visited in 1985 — and, in a special way, for the Diocese of Chiclayo, which he pastored from 2014 to 2023. The bishop of Chiclayo noted the deep spiritual connection then-Bishop Prevost had with the expressions of faith of the Peruvian people: from his devotion to the Señor Cautivo of Ayabaca and the Señor de los Milagros to his love for the Peruvian saints: Rose of Lima, Martin de Porres, Francis Solano, John Macias, and Toribio de Mogrovejo.
“His beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, as he called it in his first address, was for him a school of faith, of closeness, of humanity,” he affirmed, adding that this city in northern Peru “is a simple town that he loved deeply and that he continues to carry in his heart.” Farfán also announced that the diocese will extend an “invitation for him to visit us” and said that “without a doubt, Chiclayo will be in his heart.” The prelate further emphasized the pastoral profile of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as “a shepherd with the smell of sheep,” deeply human, sensitive to the suffering of the most vulnerable, and close to the needs of the people.