What Papa Leo XIV

Chiclayo, Peru — It is a long road from the south side of Chicago to the heart of Chiclayo in northern Peru.

But it was a simple phrase, spoken on a balcony in the Vatican by The first American Popewhich has turned Chiclayo into a sensation.

“A greeting to all, and in particular my beloved Diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied his bishop, shared his faith and was given so much, so much, to continue being a faithful church of Jesus Christ.” Pope Leo XIV said from the balcony of the Basilica of St. Peter on May 8 on May 8. After being chosen For cardinal voters in the papal enclave to succeed Pope Francis.

Lion, A native of Chicago WHO He turned 70 on Sundayhe is also a citizen of Peru, where he served for more than two decades, first as a missionary. He then directed an Augustinian seminar in Trujillo, and in 2014, he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo. In 2015, he became a bishop in Chiclayo, and was appointed Cardinal there in 2023.

Reverend Fidel Purisaca Vigil, a spokesman for the Diocese of Chiclayo, recalls the local reaction to Leo’s statement on the balcony.

“Some cried, we laugh and remember all those funny moments that happened with us here in Chiclayo,” Purisaca told News themezone.

That day in early May, when the then Cardinal Robert Prevost rose to the throne of San Pedro, Chiclayo also rose, becoming an instant tourist attraction.

City officials said that Leo’s choice shot a pilgrimage here by Catholics around the world.

It has also been a blessing to the economy. Tourism caused by him could give Chiclayo an estimated annual impulse of $ 40 million, city officials say.

Restaurants, hotels and tourism companies are fighting to meet demand.

“Actually, we are going to have a lot of work with everyone, with hotels, tour operators, restaurants, with tour guides,” Mar Maria Isabel Espinal told News themezone, who runs a local tourism agency.

Like the stations of the cross, tourists return to the footsteps of Leo here, walking from the church to the church along their unique path to the papacy.

They even stop at their favorite place, served by nothing less than Leo’s favorite waiter, Carlos.

“This is where the Pope would sit,” Carlos showed News themezone, who added that he prays every day for his old friend, the new Pope.

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