When Pope Leo XIV was elected to the papacy on May 8, 2025, few felt the change more personally than those who had known him before.
Chiclayo Peru
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Roughly two months before celebrating a year on the throne of Peter, Pope Leo XIV became one of the most quoted global leaders on the planet.
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“We are here to pray for peace and the future of Peru, so that this visit may strengthen us all and encourage us in faith to serve better.”
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“People have expressed renewed hope and faith in this new pope,” said Patrick Espinal, coordinator for a Catholic youth organization in Chiclayo.
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Before he was Pope Leo XIV, then-Bishop Robert F. Prevost of Chiclayo, Peru, created a commission to help women escape forced prostitution, said a trafficking survivor who worked with him.
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In Peru, Pope Leo saw youth as the present and the future of the church
by David Agrenby David AgrenAs bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru, the future Pope Leo XIV prioritized young people, dedicating time and attention to diocesan and parochial youth groups.
