Peruvians flock to mass with Pope Leo in city he served as bishop

Verified: 32 outlets in 17 countries have reported this story since Nov 11.

Pope Leo held the central event of his 12-day South America tour on Friday, an outdoor mass in northern Peru where he told a vast crowd of people who once knew him as their bishop that he thanked God he was alive to see them. People arrived on foot and in lines of vehicles at an arid field outside Chiclayo, a city 10,700km (6,650 miles) from Rome, where the former Robert Prevost, elected leader of the Catholic ‌Church last year, is still described as “Padre” (Father) or “amigo” (friend). Cheers...