Vatican Report | Saturday evening, 14 November 2026

Day 9 of the Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, spent entirely in the Diocese of Chiclayo, which Leo XIV once led as bishop: in the morning the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin in the Cathedral of Saint Mary, then a helicopter flight to Santa Cruz de Succhabamba for Mass with the farming communities of the Andes, the return to Chiclayo and, in the evening in Zaña, the prayer meeting closing the Jubilee Year of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo. 👑 The coronation of the Immaculate Virgin At 7.55 a.m. local time (1.55 p.m. in Rome) the Pope walked from the Bishop's House to the Cathedral of Saint Mary, where he prayed in the Blessed Sacrament chapel before the rite, held in the atrium in front of the main entrance. In his homily he recalled the cathedral "in which I began my episcopal ministry" and spoke of today's darkness: "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." Then, turning to Mary: "At your side I learned to be the shepherd of Chiclayo," and the act of entrustment: "To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry as Successor of Peter" (Holy See Press Office Bulletin, B0916). The rite ended with the Apostolic Blessing and the Pope's walk out among the faithful. ⛰️ Mass in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba The Pope took off by helicopter from the Chiclayo Air Base at 9.20 a.m. local time (3.20 p.m. in Rome) and landed in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba at 10.07 (4.07 p.m. in Rome), welcomed by church bells rung by hand for the return of "Padre Roberto" (Vatican News). After praying in the parish of La Inmaculada and greeting the sick and the elderly, at 11 a.m. local time (5 p.m. in Rome) he celebrated the votive Mass of God's Mercy on the esplanade, before more than 20,000 faithful according to the Press Office. In his homily he paid tribute to the first missionaries, saying the seed of the Gospel "has never ceased to take root and bear fruit in these lands, quietly, far from applause or great recognition," and praised popular piety as "a healthy antidote to the superficiality and consumerism so widespread today" (our translation). He warned against the temptation "to give in to discouragement, resentment, or evil," which "will never lead to progress and peace." Before the blessing he added off the cuff: "I know that if Jesus decided to come to Santa Cruz, he would find faith!" (B0917, our translation). He left at 12.50 p.m. local time (6.50 p.m. in Rome) and landed in Chiclayo at 1.30 p.m. (7.30 p.m. in Rome). Full article: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-in-santa-cruz-de-succhabamba-the-simple-faith-of-the-andes-an-antidote-to-superfic-3b84?lang=en 🕯️ Zaña: closing the Jubilee Year of Saint Turibius At 4.30 p.m. local time (10.30 p.m. in Rome) the Pope set out for the Shrine of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo in Zaña, where the saint died in 1606: he received the key to the city, walked to the chapel accompanied by a traditional dance and laid flowers at the tomb. According to the Press Office, some 10,000 faithful attended the meeting and more than 300,000 people lined the route (B0918). In his address, in Spanish, he recalled the night of prayer before he began his ministry as bishop: "Today, looking back on those years, I understand that you were part of God's answer to that prayer." And his appeal to families hit by crime and extortion: "I urge you to remain united, to care for one another and never to grow accustomed to the suffering of others" (Vatican News; the full text in the Bulletin is in Spanish only). Then came the prayer to Saint Turibius, the Our Father, the blessing, the presentation of the crown of the Virgin of the Assumption of Cutervo and the return to the Bishop's House in Chiclayo. The rest of the evening is private. Full article: https://www.vaticanreport.com/articolo/leo-xiv-in-zana-never-grow-accustomed-to-the-suffering-of-others-abac?lang=en ✨ Off the programme In Chiclayo, Mayor Janet Cubas presented the Pope with the Medal and Key of the City and a replica of the Cathedral. Peru, by a supreme decree published in El Peruano, proclaimed itself "Tierra del Papa León XIV" (Land of Pope Leo XIV) and gave Chiclayo the honorary title of "Pueblo Fiel" (Faithful People). In Zaña he was met by a guard of honour of Peruvian Paso horses and by a group of children who ran up to hug him. @CatholicSat published the handwritten letter in which then-Bishop Robert Prevost asked President Ollanta Humala for Peruvian citizenship. 📰 From the Holy See In the Bulletin of 14 November (B0915): Archbishop Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, until now nuncio in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Cabo Verde, was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in India; the Pope erected the ecclesiastical province of Eldoret (Kenya), with Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe, until now of Kakamega, as its first Metropolitan Archbishop, and appointed Fr Oswaldo Enrique Méndez Marchena auxiliary bishop of Barquisimeto (Venezuela). 📅 Sunday 15 November The journey leaves Chiclayo: departure by plane for Cusco at 1.50 p.m. Rome time (7.50 a.m. local), arriving at 4 p.m. At 4.30 p.m. the meeting with the faithful and representatives of popular piety at the Saqsaywaman Archaeological Park, with an address, and at 5.45 p.m. the Angelus in front of Cusco Cathedral. At 7.05 p.m. the flight to Pucallpa (arriving 8.30 p.m.), at 9 p.m. the meeting with missionaries and representatives of the Amazonian peoples at the Malecón Puerto Callao and at 10.45 p.m. Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali; return to Lima overnight (official programme, Rome time). In Rome, for the 10th World Day of the Poor, Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín presides at Mass in St Peter's at 10 a.m. Photo: Vatican Media via @CatholicSat