‘The pope is Peruvian!’ How 2 decades in South America shaped the vision of Pope Leo XIV

The American Pope in Peru

Religion The American Pope in Peru Pope Leo XIV spent much of his life ministering to Catholics in Peru. The American press has made much of the fact that the new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Prevost), is the first American pope—a major development in the history of the Church, in which Rome has often been somewhat distant from the traditionally Protestant United States (even as the influence of American Catholicism ha…

Can Pope Leo XIV be a compassionate pastor and a hard-nosed administrator?

Fr. Thomas Reese used to be certain no American would be elected pope. Now, he admits, he has been proved wrong with this new American — and Peruvian — pope, and speculates: What kind of pope will Leo XIV be?

‘The pope is Peruvian!’ How 2 decades in South America shaped the vision of Pope Leo XIV

Peruvians have celebrated the election of a man many knew as a missionary and bishop during his 2 decades of service in the South American country.

Peruvian activists react to Pope Leo XIV’s election

Pope Leo XIV’s election has sparked global reactions, but his appointment has struck a deeper chord in Peru. The now-pontiff served for years as bishop of Chiclayo, a city in northern Peru. For LGBTQ leaders and activists in the country, Leo represents a figure who, while unlikely to overhaul church doctrine, could signal a shift towards a less hostile and more open Catholic Church. “The fact that the new pope lived and served pastorally in Peru…

Peruvian bishop defends Pope Leo XIV against accusations of cover-up

Current Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfán at a press conference on Friday, May 9, 2025. / Credit: Diego López Marina/ACI Prensa Lima Newsroom, May 13, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA). The current bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Edinson Farfán, is publicly defendi... [...]

A missionary pope: What Pope Leo XIV’s years in Peru tell us about how he’ll lead the church

Father Robert Prevost first arrived in Peru in 1985 during a time of crisis, the aftermath of devastating El Niño rains that had left thousands of people homeless.