One month after lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo went home to Chiclayo, and the Vatican says 1.5 million came out

Some people camped overnight in the desert. Others abandoned their cars on jammed roads and walked the rest of the way. By the time Pope Leo XIV reached the Pampas de Pimentel, a flat stretch of desert west of Chiclayo, the crowd ran as far as the eye could see.

The Vatican estimated 1.5 million people lined the streets and attended the Mass on Friday, Peru time. Counts for the Mass ground itself were lower, at about half a million, with many more along the route from the airport. Either way, it was a homecoming unlike any other stop on the tour.

Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, spent about 20 years as a missionary in Peru and was bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. He holds both US and Peruvian citizenship, and on Wednesday he declared Peru his homeland. He flew in from Lima on a plane decorated with “#LeoXIVFliesHome” stickers.

How is his health?

The Mass came exactly one month after Leo had surgery for lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, on 13 October. Doctors said the cancer was localised, had not spread and requires no further treatment. He set off on the tour 24 days after the operation.

He spoke about it directly in Chiclayo, calling the surgery a “time of trial” and thanking people for their prayers. He said a prayer of thanksgiving rose in his heart for the people who had blessed his life.

For a 71-year-old pope, the schedule has been relentless: three countries, open-air popemobile rides, unannounced balcony appearances at the Vatican embassy in Lima, and a Chiclayo Mass in temperatures above 30C.

Just how big have the crowds been?

Huge, by any measure. The Vatican says about 3 million people turned out when he arrived in Lima on Wednesday. A Mass in Buenos Aires drew about 2.5 million on 9 November, and more than 2 million gathered at Luján, according to local authorities. In total the Vatican puts attendance at public events across the tour at about 12 million.

Chiclayo, Peru’s fourth-largest city, has about 620,000 residents. The Vatican’s estimate means more than twice the city’s population came out for one man.

What did he say?

At the Mass, Leo told the crowd every Christian is called to be a missionary and to share their hope with others. Later on Friday he visited the Catholic university where he once served as grand chancellor, where he spoke about science and conscience and warned against transhumanism, the push to enhance humans with technology. He ended the day at dinner with about 140 priests of the diocese, many of whom once served under him.

Why does this matter beyond Peru?

Leo is the first pope from the United States, but in Latin America, the region with the world’s largest Catholic population, he is treated as one of their own. His tour is a test of whether a pope recovering from cancer can still carry the Church’s biggest public moments, and so far the answer from the crowds is yes.

In Australia, Catholics are the largest single religious group, about one in five people at the 2021 census, and the pope’s health and stamina matter to a Church that will look to him for years of leadership.