LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV made a triumphant return Friday to the Peruvian city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for eight years and was affectionately nicknamed “Padre Roberto.”
\n\nAs he touched down he was greeted with a big sign saying “#LeonXIVVuelaACasa,” or Pope Leo returns home, before small dance troupe performed before him.
\n\nThe crowds greeting Leo in Peru’s fourth largest city will likely be smaller than the estimated 3 million or so who welcomed the pope when he arrived Wednesday in Lima, the country’s capital.
\n\nBut their enthusiasm will likely more than make up for their smaller numbers as the former Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo returned to this coastal city of nearly 700,000 as the leader of the Catholic Church.
\n\nLines of cars forced many to walk part of the way to Pampas de Pimentel, a vast desert plain just outside Chiclayo. Along the road, vendors sold hats, mini pope dolls and sweet Peruvian bread.
\n\nMaria Esther Chozo Reyes, 76, said she had taken a 12-hour bus ride from Lima and arrived Thursday afternoon before she camped overnight. “He knows the people of Chiclayo and he’s lived here, he’s made his mission here,” she told…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business