As Pope Leo settles into papacy, his handling of clergy sexual abuse will be closely scrutinised. Read more at ...

As a bishop in Peru, Pope Leo XIV’s handling of two abuse cases was a study in contrasts, siding strongly with victims in one ...

Before becoming pope, Leo lived in Peru for nearly 20 years, serving at different times in various capacities from parochial ...

His papacy has made history. Born in Chicago, Leo XIV is the first pope ever to hail from the United States. But for Peruvians in the northern city of Chiclayo, he is a hometown hero, and the ...

Before ascending to lead the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost — grew up in Chicago, spent decades in Peru, then arrived in Rome.

Chiclayo is known for its 8,000-hectare natural refuge. The Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge is home to hundreds of flora and fauna native to the area. Laquipampa is also home to the jaguarundi puma.

Pope Leo was born in the United States, but for his adopted nation of Peru, he is a “Chiclayano” – a son of the bustling northern Peruvian city where everyone seems to have a story about him.

Chiclayo, with a population of more than 800,000, plays a vital role as the main commercial hub of Peru’s northern coast, with highways linking it to the Andes mountains and Amazon region.

Residents in Chiclayo, Peru, hold up the picture of Pope Leo XIV during a mass in his honour on May 10 [Guadalupe Pardo/AP Photo] A hometown hero. Leo XIV set the tone for his papacy early on.

Francis appointed Leo as bishop of Chiclayo on Sept. 26, 2015 — the same year he became a naturalized Peruvian citizen. In Peru, Leo ministered to the marginalized and vulnerable.