What to know about Chiclayo, the city in Peru that Pope Leo XIV called home

Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Thursday by the conclave to serve as pope, becoming Pope Leo XIV at the age of 69.

Prevost, a missionary who dedicated his career to ministry in Peru and led the Vatican's powerful bishops' office, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church.

At the time of his election, the city of Chiclayo, seat of the Diocese of Chiclayo, took center stage grabbing the attention of the world. This is because His Holiness lived in Peru for decades, residing in Chiclayo for nearly 10 years when he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023, after obtaining Peruvian citizenship.

A city full of beauty centered on history and nature

Chiclayo is located a little less than 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean and is the capital of the Department of Lambayeque.

It is a city of less than one million inhabitants (it has about 800,000) and plays a vital role as a commercial hub for Peru's northern coast, thanks to highways that connect it to the Andes Mountains and the Amazon. Its surrounding lands are agriculturally productive.

The city has become a popular tourist destination due to its stunning beaches, architecture, and historical sites.

According to the government's website, Chiclayo's tourist attractions include:

• Chiclayo is known for its 8,000-hectare natural refuge. The Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge is home to hundreds of flora and fauna native to the area. Laquipampa is also home to the jaguarundi puma.
• Additionally, Sipán, Huaca Rajada, is a historic archaeological complex dating back to 250 AD, becoming a popular spot thanks to the tomb of the Lord of Sipán, an ancient Moche ruler from the 3rd century.
• Another tourist attraction in Chiclayo is the Lost Inca Lagoon, which was discovered in 2003. It received its name because it is located near a section of the Inca Trail.

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But despite its economic impact, Chiclayo faces social problems, with roughly 20% of its population living in poverty.

It is in this juxtaposition, full of beauty but also social problems, that Pope Leo XIV exercised his duties as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo.

The Diocese of Chiclayo was created on Dec. 17, 1956, by Pope Pius XII.

The Diocese of Chiclayo has 48 parishes and two pastoral sectors. The parishes are distributed among five pastoral zones.

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Everyone knows Leo XIV in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo

In the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, almost everyone knows Pope Leo XIV, who walked through its streets and impoverished villages for almost a decade until he left for Rome in 2023, summoned by his predecessor Francis to assume the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Restaurant waiters, like Alonso Alarcón, say that Robert Prevost once sat at their tables eating ceviche, the dish of fish marinated in lemon juice. And taxi driver Hugo Pérez claims to have seen him many times driving his modest vehicle through the city or in a pickup truck heading to the outlying villages hit by the heavy rains of 2022.

Catholic faithful like Alejandro Bazalar, a member of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles of Chiclayo, showed a photo of the now pope washing his feet and recalled that in 2019 he celebrated a Mass for his deceased parents.

“He is a very humble man; we Chiclayanos never imagined that God's representative on Earth would live among us,” he said.

Others, like Ricardo Ulloque, remember him holding a microphone and singing “I wanna wish you a merry Christmas,” an English-language version of José Feliciano's bilingual song “Feliz Navidad,” in December 2017, accompanied by a small band of guitars and drums during a youth gathering.

But the pope has also left his mark on another city called Chulucanas, in the Piura region, where Prevost worked. Mildred Camacho, a 28-year-old woman, remembers him as her godfather.

“When I saw he was elected, I ran to my father shouting, ‘Daddy, my godfather has become the pope,’” Mildred told local media. She added that when Prevost left for Rome, he kept in touch with her and even sent her a photo of him working with then-Pope Francis.

“You feel like he's a real godfather,” she said.

The residents of Chiclayo appreciate that despite having become pope, Prevost has not forgotten them -- after all, in his first words as pontiff to the crowd cheering him in St. Peter's Square on Thursday, he greeted in Spanish “my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop and shared their faith.”

Due to the level of poverty in the city, it was these sectors that Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, helped.

During the intense rains of 2022 and 2023, the now Pope Leo XIV drove a van transporting supplies to rural villages along the La Leche River.

Amid the floods, he walked wearing rubber boots with a cross necklace around his neck.

Janinna Sesa, an engineer,met Prevost when she worked for the international organization Caritas. Sesa said that Prevost was also instrumental in the purchase of two oxygen production plants during the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 217,000 people in Peru.

“He worked so hard to find help that it wasn't just enough for one plant, but for two oxygen plants,” she emphasized.

Sesa also remembers him driving another truck, crossing rivers to the most remote Quechua-speaking villages, like Incahuasi. There, he spent the night on thin mattresses and ate the peasant diet of cheese, boiled potatoes, and corn, she recalled.

“He doesn't think twice in fixing a broken-down truck until it runs,” Sesa said.