Vatican Report | Friday evening, 13 November 2026

Day 8 of the Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the day of the homecoming: Leo XIV left Lima for Chiclayo, the diocese he led as bishop from 2015 to 2023, celebrated Mass there at the Pampas de Pimentel before some 500,000 faithful, paid a private visit to the Chapel of Saint Óscar A. Romero and in the evening met clergy and synodal teams at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and the university world at the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University. ✈️ From Lima to Chiclayo At 7 a.m. local time (1 p.m. in Rome), before leaving the Nunciature, the Pope addressed an impromptu greeting to the faithful from the balcony, starting in Italian and correcting himself with a smile: "Sorry, I am speaking in Italian; here at home we speak Italian." Then: "I am now heading to Chiclayo. And we want to continue in that same spirit of joy." He took off from the Callao Air Base at 7.57 a.m. local time (1.57 p.m. in Rome) on a LATAM A320 and landed at Chiclayo Air Base at 9.06 a.m. (3.06 p.m. in Rome), welcomed by local leaders (Holy See Press Office Bulletin, B0911). ⛪ Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel At 10.56 a.m. local time (4.56 p.m. in Rome) the Pope presided over Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel: according to local authorities, some 500,000 faithful attended and around one million people lined the streets of Chiclayo. The homily opened: "What a joy it is to return to Chiclayo! It is a blessing for me to be with you once again." The Pope thanked the faithful for their prayers, "especially for my health during this time of trial which, with God's help, I am overcoming." Evangelizing, he said, "does not mean imposing doctrines or trusting in efficient strategies, but bearing witness to that real encounter with Jesus Christ", and: "Mission cannot be improvised." His conclusion: "Dear brothers and sisters, the world is waiting for us and the mission is only beginning" (Holy See Press Office Bulletin, B0910). Full article on the homily: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-in-chiclayo-the-world-is-waiting-for-us-and-the-mission-is-only-beginning-b6af?lang=en 🕯️ Private visit to the Chapel of Saint Óscar Romero At 1.30 p.m. local time (7.30 p.m. in Rome) the Pope arrived at the Chapel of Saint Óscar A. Romero, welcomed by the parish priest, Fr José Alonso Serquén. In his greeting he thanked those who made "the dream of this new Chapel" come true and spoke again about his health: "As you know, just a month ago I had to undergo surgery, and God, with his grace, has been great" (our translation). This was followed by the exchange of gifts, the blessing of some of the sick and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque (Holy See Press Office Bulletin, B0912). 🙏 With the clergy at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace At 4.30 p.m. local time (10.30 p.m. in Rome) the Pope met bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, seminarians, synodal teams and pastoral councils, some 5,000 people according to the Press Office (B0913), after presenting the Golden Rose before the Blessed Sacrament. In his address, in Spanish: "Before any service, office, profession or ministry, we are baptized. Our primary identity is that of sons and daughters of God and members of his chosen people" (Vatican News). The communion of the Church "is not uniformity", he said (our translation), and "communion must precede mission". He asked for pastoral councils to be revitalized, warning: "it is easy to speak about synodality, but putting it into practice is a challenge", beginning with the pastors (Vatican News). Full article: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-to-peru-s-clergy-in-chiclayo-our-primary-identity-is-that-of-sons-and-daughters-of-b5ca?lang=en 🎓 To the university world, against the myth of transhumanism At 5.40 p.m. local time (11.40 p.m. in Rome) the Pope returned to the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University, which he served as Grand Chancellor while bishop: according to the Press Office (B0914), some 6,000 people were on campus and about 50,000 along the route. After a golf-cart ride among the crowd and chants of "¡León, hermano, tú eres chiclayano!", he warned against the promises of transhumanism and posthumanism and against progress confused with "a privilege for millionaires who aspire to immortality, while entire peoples suffer misery and oppression": "limitation is not a manufacturing defect, but rather the very condition of human grandeur." And: "science without conscience ruins everyone's life" (from the Spanish text; English after Vatican News where available, otherwise our translation). A private dinner with the diocese's priests at the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo College followed. Full article: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-to-chiclayo-s-university-world-limitation-is-not-a-manufacturing-defect-but-rather-d7df?lang=en ✨ Off the programme On arrival in Chiclayo the Pope held a plush toy of a tunki, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, Peru's national bird (Vatican Media footage). At the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace a child handed him a drawing and hugged him, and the Pope greeted the Carmelite nuns one by one. In Lima, Camila Bustamante, one of the six abuse survivors received at the Nunciature on Thursday, told the Epicentro channel that Leo XIV is "personally committed" (according to EFE, our translation); the Holy See has not commented on the meetings. 📰 From the Holy See In the 13 November Bulletin, besides the reports and texts of the journey (B0910–B0914): Bishop Wayne Lawrence Lobsinger, until now auxiliary of Hamilton, was appointed Bishop of Peterborough (Canada), and Fr Joseph Onyango Oduor, O.S.A., until now parish priest of Saint Monica in Nyamsaria (Archdiocese of Kisumu), Coadjutor Bishop of Kisii (Kenya) (B0909). The Press Office also released the programme for the 10th World Day of the Poor: on Sunday 15 November at 10 a.m., Mass in St Peter's presided over by Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, while the Pope is travelling; on Sunday 22 November, the Pope's lunch with 1,300 poor people in the Paul VI Hall. 📅 Saturday 14 November At 2 p.m. Rome time (8 a.m. local) the Pope presides over the Rite of the Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin in the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Chiclayo, with a homily. At 3.10 p.m. he leaves by helicopter for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba (arriving at 3.50 p.m.), where at 5 p.m. he celebrates Mass, with a homily; he returns to Chiclayo at 8 p.m. At 11.30 p.m., the prayer meeting with the Catholic community for the closing of the Jubilee Year of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo at the Shrine of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, with an address (official programme, Rome time). Photo: Vatican Media via @CatholicSat · Vatican Media via Vatican News