The city of Chiclayo celebrates Pope Leo XIV. Screenshot from video “PERÚ: La CIUDAD de CHICLAYO CELEBRA al PAPA LEÓN XIV | RTVE Noticias” on the RTVE Noticias YouTube channel. Fair use.

On May 8, the people who gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican saw the long-awaited white smoke emerge from the Sistine Chapel, announcing to the world the election of a new Pope. After three unsuccessful ballots, the conclave had finally elected Pope Francis‘ successor. Pope Francis was Latin America's first pope, who served from 2013 to April 21, 2025, when he passed away.

The Augustinian bishop Robert Francis Prevost, one of the candidates to succeed Francis, was selected. He chose to name himself Pope Leo XIV.

Así fue el momento donde se mostró el #humoblanco al mundo para decir que hay un nuevo #papa. #LeónXIV nacido en Chicago, naturalizado peruano invitó en su primer discurso a la paz. pic.twitter.com/YP0vcUg00m

— La Otra Escucha (@laotraescucha) May 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV, newly elected, looks out to greet the people present in St. Peter's Square. Photo: Wikimedia commons under CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

This was the moment where the #whitesmoke was shown to the world to say that there is a new #pope. #LeonXIV born in Chicago, naturalized Peruvian, spoke about peace in his first speech.

Pope Leo XIV surprised the world when he broke protocol and interrupted his speech in Italian, and in perfect Spanish said:

Quiero agradecer a todos aquellos, y de manera particular, a mi querida diócesis de Chiclayo en el Perú, donde un pueblo fiel ha acompañado a su obispo, ha compartido su fe, y ha dado tanto y tanto para seguir siendo iglesia fiel de Jesucristo.

I want to thank all those, and in particular, my dear diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, shared their faith, and have given so much to continue being a faithful church of Jesus Christ.

Peruvians were overjoyed by this spontaneous greeting, and in Chiclayo it was especially overwhelming.

Momento exacto cuando recibieron la noticia en el Seminario Mayor Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo en la Diócesis de Chiclayo donde fue obispo Mons. Robert Prevost, ahora el Papa León XIV 🇵🇪 pic.twitter.com/QI882X0g0J

— Jóvenes Unidos Perú (@JovenesUnidosP) May 10, 2025

Front pages of some Peruvian newspapers on Friday, May 9, 2025. Images available online. Composition by the author.

The precise moment when they received the news at the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Major Seminary in the Diocese of Chiclayo where Bishop Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was bishop.

News came out immediately that the new pope was born in Chicago, but also has Peruvian nationality. Pope Leo XIV began his clerical career in his hometown, and then was sent to Peru, where he served for nearly 40 years in the northern cities of Piura, Chulucanas, Trujillo and Chiclayo, where he was appointed bishop by Pope Francis in 2015. In that same year, he obtained Peruvian nationality and is eligible to vote in the 2026 presidential elections.

This brief news report from Spanish TV shows the parishioners of the city of Chiclayo, who are “ abuzz” after the announcement of the new pope. In Chiclayo, they remember him as “very humble and close to the youth.” The video shows a restaurant where the now Pope often ate, and his favorite table, from which he could see the cathedral while eating the typical “frito de chancho,” a local recipe of pork rind.

Boris Potozén, a public service worker, was present the day then-Bishop Prevost received his Peruvian nationality. Potozén told Global Voices that he spoke briefly with him, and when he pointed out that he was from Chiclayo and a student at the San Agustín school, Prevost told him that “God was opening the way for him.”

People were quick to spread memes alluding to the dual nationality of Leo XIV on social media:

📱🌍 ¡INTERNET NO PERDONA… NI AL PAPA! 😂
Desde que fue elegido, #PapaLeónXIV se ha convertido en el protagonista de los mejores memes del momento 🙌#LeónXIV #PapaMeme #HumorCatólico #Vaticano2025 #SantidadViral pic.twitter.com/3SCmGrpszP

— Altavoz EC (@altavoz_ecu) May 9, 2025

THE INTERNET IS NOT FORGIVING… NOT EVEN FOR THE POPE!
Since he was elected, #PapaLeónXIV has become the protagonist of the best memes.

There was also a merchandise opportunity in the so-called “Gamarra empire,” a textile business in Lima well-known for its many clothing and textile stores in general, where, in less than 24 hours, Pope-related goods were on display in their windows:

La creatividad y agilidad de los peruanos para sacar merch del Papa 🤣. Ojalá que los comerciantes vendan mucho :). #Papa #Gamarra #Peru #Chiclayo #RobertPrevost pic.twitter.com/qXa7Ed7ltm

— Angela (@antiginny) May 9, 2025

The creativity and agility of the Peruvians to bring out merch about the Pope 🤣. I hope the retailers sell a lot :)

El Comercio, Peru's leading newspaper, asked readers who had photos with the pope to share them with the paper:

Si tienes fotos con el cardenal Robert Prevost, hoy papa León XIV, compártelas con El Comercio https://t.co/Be8zOkt5wP

— Martin Hidalgo (@martinhidalgo) May 9, 2025

If you have photos with Bishop Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, share them with El Comercio

And the Pope even expressed his wish to visit Chiclayo:

Periodista peruano, Gunter Rave, logró conversar hoy con el papa:

—Lo esperamos en Chiclayo.
—¡Ah, ojalá! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/FZD1B8qQL4

— Gente de Chiclayo (@gentechiclayo) May 12, 2025

Peruvian journalist Gunter Rave managed to speak with the pope today:

—We are waiting for you in Chiclayo.
—Ah, hopefully!🙏