Leo XIV in Chiclayo: "To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry"

"To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry as Successor of Peter." With these words Leo XIV addressed the Virgin Mary on Saturday, 14 November, at the Rite of the Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin in the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Chiclayo, the diocese he once led as bishop, on the ninth day of his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The homily was delivered in Spanish: the quotations follow the official English translation published in the Holy See Press Office Bulletin.

The rite in the cathedral atrium. At 7.55 a.m. local time (1.55 p.m. in Rome), the Press Office reports, the Pope left the Bishop's residence in Chiclayo on foot for the Cathedral of Saint Mary. He entered by the side entrance. After a short visit to the presbytery and the altar and a pause in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, he proceeded to the atrium in front of the main entrance, where the rite took place. After the Liturgy of the Word he delivered his homily. At the end he left the Cathedral and travelled by car to the Teniente Coronel Pedro Ruiz Gallo – Grupo Aéreo No. 6 Air Base, from where he departed by helicopter for Santa Cruz.

The tribute of the crown. "With a heart filled with joy," the Pope gave thanks to God "for being here with you today to celebrate our faith as we have so often done, and in the same cathedral in which I began my episcopal ministry in the service of this Diocese of Chiclayo." With gratitude for the years the Lord "granted us to walk together," he said: "I now prepare, as the Successor of Peter, to crown this beautiful image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary." The gesture, he explained, "is particularly significant, for the crown I will place upon our Lady's head is intended to symbolize the tribute of gratitude and filial love offered to her by the Pope, together with you and the whole Church, as we acknowledge her as the loving Mother and Patroness of Chiclayo, exalted by God as Queen of heaven and earth."

Darkness and the Child. Recalling the reading from Isaiah, Leo XIV said that "darkness continues to lie in wait even today and seems to envelop us completely. We feel threatened by the uncertainty of widespread violence and by the unspeakable suffering that continues to afflict so many of our brothers and sisters." Yet, despite this darkness, "God's gift continues to shine before our eyes: 'For a child has been born for us, a son given to us' (Is 9:6)." This Child, he added, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary: "Yes, a defenseless child is God's answer to a humanity plunged into darkness, yet longing for unity and reconciliation. He alone is the light that illumines the most hidden corners of human existence, the only light capable of rescuing us from sin and undoing its disastrous consequences in our personal and communal lives."

"Cause of our joy." "With good reason," the Pope said, "we invoke the Immaculate Virgin as 'Cause of our joy,'" for through Mary's "yes" to the annunciation of the Angel, "God made man, entered the history of our world." By making all things new, he "rescues us from the tragedy of sin and reveals to us the eternal destiny to which every man and woman is called." To the sons and daughters of Chiclayo he recalled that devotion to the Immaculate Virgin "is part of the Christian roots that shape your identity and strengthen your faith." Trusting in her intercession, he invited them "to keep walking forward together, as one family of God. A family that longs for a world marked by love and compassion, forgiveness and the pursuit of justice."

The act of entrustment. Turning to Mary, Leo XIV said: "To you, our Immaculate Mother, I lift my gaze and my heart today with filial affection. At your side I learned to be the shepherd of Chiclayo. You accompanied me through its towns and cities. You taught me to meet its people and to be attentive to their needs, as you did at the Wedding Feast of Cana. To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry as Successor of Peter. I also ask you to watch over and protect the People of God making their pilgrim way in these lands and to guide them always to your Son, Jesus Christ."

The prayer to our heavenly Mother. Before concluding, "until we meet again," the Pope invited those present to join in this prayer:

Holy Mary, filled with the presence of God,
who throughout your earthly life humbly obeyed
the will of the Father and gave us an example of simplicity,
we beg you to continue walking with us,
and to obtain for us from your Son, Jesus Christ,
through your maternal heart,
the gift of listening attentively to the Holy Spirit,
so that, with the help of his grace,
we may be ready to follow him faithfully,
to be builders of peace and reconciliation,
and servants of the Kingdom of God and of our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Sources: Holy See Press Office Bulletin.

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