Pope Leo XIV travelled to the western Andes in Peru on Saturday, making a special stop during his 12-day tour of South America to visit a remote town whose fewer than 6,000 residents once knew him as the bishop of Chiclayo, the larger city located a four-hour drive away.
Pope Leo XIV visited the town of Santa Cruz de Cochabamba several times in his capacity as bishop between 2015 and 2023. The town lies 100 kilometres east of the Pacific Ocean.
This time, however, instead of travelling along winding mountain roads where drivers must slow down to navigate steep ravines, the leader of the Catholic Church arrived by helicopter.
A local band welcomed the Pope with a song entitled "Welcome to Your Homeland", as crowds gathered in a field to attend a Mass he was to celebrate. Buildings throughout the town centre were decorated with murals depicting the Pope during his time as a bishop in Peru.
Leo, who is originally from Chicago, spent nearly 20 years in Peru, where he worked as a missionary. He holds both American and Peruvian citizenship. This special visit to Peru comes at the end of a three-country tour that drew record crowds of around 12 million people.
Data from Peru's national statistics office show that Cajamarca, which includes Santa Cruz, is one of the country's poorest regions, with up to 40% of its population living in poverty.
Speaking at a local diocese shortly after his arrival on Saturday, Leo said he was "overwhelmed with joy" to be able to visit the small town once again.
"It is like a very great dream that the Lord has allowed this servant to come here," he added.
The Vatican said Leo later celebrated Mass in a field near the diocese, attended by around 20,000 people. This was the smallest crowd of his South American tour, but the Pope knew many of those present, having previously visited the area several times a year to minister to its rural communities.
