Pope Leo is expected to celebrate Mass for thousands of pilgrims, visit a chapel he helped rebuild and meet local clergy and university students.

Pope Leo XIV leaves at the end of a prayer vigil at the National Stadium in Lima, on the seventh day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Thursday, Nov 12, 2026. (Photo: AP/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo XIV leaves at the end of a prayer vigil at the National Stadium in Lima, on the seventh day of his twelve-day apostolic journey to South America, Thursday, Nov 12, 2026. (Photo: AP/Andrew Medichini)

CHICLAYO, Peru: Pope Leo XIV returned Friday (Nov 13) to his cherished Chiclayo, the Peruvian city where he served for nearly a decade as bishop, and where old friends and tens of thousands of locals eagerly await him.

The visit is the emotional centrepiece of the pope's South America tour, bringing him back to neighbourhoods which knew him as Robert Francis Prevost before he was tapped to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

The US-born pontiff, who has Peruvian citizenship, paid tribute in Spanish to his "beloved Diocese of Chiclayo" from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in his first speech as pope.

The 71-year-old has been so looking forward to returning that not even lung cancer surgery last month could delay his trip, which has seen him rocket through Uruguay and Argentina to Peru.

In the coastal city where Leo served from 2015 to 2023, his image is everywhere, from merchandise to murals.

Faithful gather at the site where Pope Leo will celebrate Mass near the Pampas de Pimentel during his return to the region where he served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, as part of his 12-day trip to South America, in Pimentel, Peru, November 13, 2026. REUTERS/Angela Ponce

Bishop Prevost "left a significant mark here, through his personal style, his character, and his actions," Jorge Villegas, vicar general of the Diocese of Chiclayo, told AFP.

"He reached every last corner of the Diocese of Chiclayo, a region where the geography is far from easy," he said.

Prevost remained close to the poor and local communities during periods of hardship, including the Covid-19 pandemic and devastating floods, at one point donning rubber boots to wade through muddy waters to help those in need.

Locals remember his "solidarity," Villegas said, "standing by us during several natural disasters." 

He also spearheaded the construction of plants that produce life-saving oxygen during the pandemic, the vicar general said.

"A LOT OF CHARISMA"

Leo will lead a mass on the Pampas de Pimentel, a vast and hot desert plain on Peru's northern coast, which is expected to draw around a million pilgrims, before meeting with clergy, then staff and students at a Catholic university.

He will privately visit the San Oscar Romero chapel in one of Chiclayo's humblest neighborhoods, which he helped rebuild, and dine with Chiclayo's priests - perhaps on ceviche, a dish of raw fish marinated in lime juice which he loves.

On Thursday, dozens of people gathered in the historic centre in front of the cathedral, enjoying the festive atmosphere ahead of Leo's arrival.

Among them - wearing a cap with a picture of the pope on it - was Katerine Preciado, a 33-year-old Catholic from Colombia who now lives in Peru near the border with Ecuador, where criminal gangs recruit the young.

She said she hopes the pope will deliver "a message of peace, reconciliation, and mercy - a message full of love," and help Peru "reconcile as a nation" and become a safer place.

Firefighters spray water on gathered crowds of faithful to help cool them down amid high temperatures as people wait for Pope Leo's arrival to celebrate Mass, in Pimentel, Peru, Nov 13, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Pilar Olivares)

The pontiff will later visit Cuzco, at more than 3,400 meters (11,000 feet) elevation, which will test his recovery from lung surgery.

He will also go to Callao, where as Prevost he delivered food and aid to vulnerable communities.

But Pahola Rojas, a 40-year-old secretary, said Leo's visit held a unique significance for Chiclayo.

Bishop Prevost "was always very close to the people... you could run into him on the street -- strolling around, greeting people, and chatting," she said.

"He was very approachable ... he inspired a great deal of trust and possessed a lot of charisma."