From Chicago To Chiclayo: Peruvian Town Hails Adoptive Son And Pope

A woman prays at the Chiclayo's cathedral, northern Peru on May 9, 2025. US-born pontiff Leo XIV, close to Pope Francis, became a Peruvian national in 2015 and devoted more than 20 years as a missionary in the Andean country. (Credit: AFP)

Residents in the Peruvian town of Chiclayo chant "long live the pope!" hailing the election of their adoptive son, who for years lived, ate and prayed among them.

Pope Leo spent eight years as a bishop close to the shores of the Pacific, becoming a Peruvian citizen in the process.