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Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to return to Chiclayo, Peru, on Friday, Nov. 13, the city where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023. His homecoming is a focal point of the pope’s first visit to Peru since his election, connecting the trip’s official itinerary with the years he spent as a missionary and church leader in the country.

Leo spent about two decades in Peru and obtained Peruvian citizenship shortly before his appointment as Chiclayo’s bishop, the Associated Press reported. The Vatican’s published schedule lists a Mass near Pampas de Pimentel on Friday, followed by meetings with clergy and the university community. The programme places additional events in and around Chiclayo on Saturday before the pope travels to Cusco and Pucallpa on Sunday.

Why Chiclayo matters to Pope Leo

In Chiclayo, Leo was known as Robert Prevost before becoming pope. People interviewed by the AP recalled his efforts to help secure oxygen-production plants during the COVID-19 pandemic, his visits to communities affected by flooding and his work with migrants and people in poverty. These memories help explain why residents describe the return as a homecoming rather than a routine stop on an international tour.

The city is part of the story of how Leo developed his pastoral approach. His years there included parish and diocesan work, travel to rural communities and engagement with local hardship. The return offers a chance to see how the pope’s ties to Peru remain a part of his public identity while he carries out a tightly scheduled apostolic visit.

What the Peru itinerary includes

The Vatican programme schedules Leo’s arrival in Chiclayo Friday morning and a Mass near Pampas de Pimentel before meetings later in the day. Saturday’s agenda includes events in Chiclayo and nearby communities. The wider Peru leg also includes Lima, Cusco and Pucallpa, with a meeting involving missionaries and representatives of Amazonian peoples scheduled in Pucallpa.

As plans can change during a papal trip, the Vatican’s official programme is the best source for the latest itinerary. The defining context for Chiclayo, however, is clear: it is the northern Peruvian diocese Leo led for eight years and a community where his earlier ministry remains closely remembered.

Sources: Associated Press; Vatican News; Holy See Press Office programme. More coverage: The Globuzz World.