Pope Leo XIV Returns to Chiclayo for Emotional Homecoming and Mass
Pope Leo XIV made a significant return to Chiclayo, Peru, the city where he served as bishop for nine years before his election to the papacy. Hundreds of thousands of faithful supporters lined the streets to welcome the pontiff back to his former diocese. During his visit, the Pope celebrated a public Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel esplanade. In his homily, he emphasized that every Christian, whether clergy or lay, holds an urgent duty to actively proclaim the Gospel through their daily lives. The event served as a deeply personal homecoming for the leader of the Catholic Church.
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Pope Leo XIV returned to Chiclayo, Peru, on November 13 for a warm welcome from residents and former colleagues, then celebrated Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel. In his homily, he called on all Christians to share the Gospel through their lives, with humility, care for others, and particular concern for vulnerable people. 1 2
Leo arrived at Teniente Coronel Pedro Ruiz Gallo Air Base shortly after 9 a.m. on a flight from Lima. Traditional dancers, Peruvian and Vatican flags, and former colleagues from the diocese greeted him at the airport. 1 2
Large crowds gathered along his route and at the Pampas de Pimentel esplanade. One report estimated that about one million people lined the 14-kilometer road from the airport, while local authorities put the crowd at the Mass at 500,000. 1 2
Chiclayo was a particularly personal stop: Leo had served there as bishop before becoming pope. The reports give different starting years for his tenure—2015 in one and 2014 in the other—but both say he served until 2023. 1 2
Opening his homily with “What joy to return to Chiclayo,” Leo said it was a blessing to be among the people again and that he had kept them in his prayers. He rode through the gathering in the popemobile before celebrating Mass. 2
Leo said every Christian, ordained or lay, has a responsibility to proclaim the Gospel, regardless of their position in the Church or level of religious knowledge. He urged his listeners to put Jesus Christ at the center of their lives and their witness. 2
He described evangelization as grounded in an authentic Christian life and closeness to others, expressed through charity and assistance to vulnerable people. He also called for humility and care, and for respect for each person’s conscience and freedom rather than imposing doctrine. 2
Addressing religious indifference, materialism, and selfishness, Leo urged Christians to meet these challenges with courage. He noted that the transmission of faith had nearly stopped in some parts of the world. 2
After the Mass, Leo was scheduled to visit the Chapel of San Oscar A. Romero in one of Chiclayo’s poorer neighborhoods. The report said he had helped rebuild the chapel during his time as bishop and was expected to speak there briefly. 2*
The shared responsibility of all Christians for evangelization
The Church’s mission of evangelization belongs to the whole People of God. Every Christian is called to share the Gospel because of Baptism, not only those with formal Church jobs or special training. This common responsibility does not mean that everyone has the same role: the faithful evangelize in different ways, in communion with one another and with the Church’s pastors.
Baptism incorporates a person into Christ and his Church; the Church’s missionary task is therefore not an optional activity reserved for a few. Pope John Paul II taught that no Christian can excuse himself or herself from proclaiming the Good News, since this responsibility arises from Baptism and Confirmation and is carried out under the Holy Spirit’s prompting. The Second Vatican Council likewise describes the whole Church as missionary and calls all its members to take responsibility for spreading the Gospel.
Pope Francis summarizes the consequence of this baptismal calling:
In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples.
“Missionary disciple” means that following Christ and sharing his Gospel belong together. Christians first receive the Gospel and grow in faith; they are then called to communicate it through their lives and, when fitting, their words. Francis cautions against a model in which a small group of professionals evangelizes while everyone else remains passive.
Shared responsibility is not the same as identical responsibility. Bishops guide and lead the Church’s evangelizing mission; priests and deacons serve it according to their particular ministries. The lay faithful, consecrated men and women, and ecclesial communities also contribute in ways proper to their vocation and circumstances. John Paul II’s teaching on evangelization recognizes the bishops’ leadership while also affirming the participation of all the baptized.
For lay people, evangelization commonly takes place in ordinary life: bearing witness in families, workplaces, civic life, and relationships; helping others encounter the Church; and contributing to catechesis and the apostolic work of their communities. John Paul II describes the laity as having a vocation to proclaim the Gospel, supported by the sacraments of Christian initiation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The task is not confined to public preaching. Pope Benedict XVI particularly emphasizes the laity’s call to bear witness in daily life, wherever they find themselves.
Evangelization involves both what Christians say and how they live. A life shaped by faith, charity, and the presence of God can make the Gospel credible; words can then explain the hope and love that the witness expresses. The Canadian bishops’ document, drawing on Pope Francis, stresses proclamation not only in words but especially through a life transformed by God’s presence.
This does not mean that words are unnecessary. The Church’s mission includes making Christ known, teaching the faith, and inviting people to conversion and life in Christ. John Paul II describes evangelization as seeking a response of faith and conversion, while also connecting that response with Baptism, the Eucharist, and a life according to the Spirit. The form of witness will differ according to a person’s gifts, responsibilities, and situation, but every Christian is called to be ready to share the Gospel in an appropriate way.
No Christian carries out this mission as a private enterprise. Paul VI explains that even when a preacher, catechist, or pastor acts in a seemingly isolated setting, the act belongs to the Church’s mission. Evangelizers do not make themselves the ultimate authority over the Gospel; they serve it in communion with the Church and her pastors.
This communion prevents two opposite misunderstandings. First, evangelization is not the exclusive work of clergy or specialists. Second, personal initiative does not mean acting independently of the Church’s faith and mission. Paul VI also says that the command given to the apostles applies to all Christians, though in different ways, and that those who have received the Good News can and must communicate it.
The shared responsibility of Christians for evangelization asks each person to consider how to make Christ known through a faithful life, attentive relationships, service, and suitable speech. It also calls families, parishes, associations, and movements to form and support their members in this mission. Benedict XVI says that no believer should feel dispensed from the responsibility that comes from belonging sacramentally to Christ’s Body, and that each is called to contribute according to his or her state in life.
The common calling does not require every Christian to become a preacher or to use the same methods. It means that no one is merely a spectator in the Church’s mission: each baptized person has a real, distinct part in helping others encounter the Gospel, within the communion and shared life of the Church.