Pope Francis 'fell in love with Peru' when he was a missionary and prelate in the country, said Edison Farfan, bishop of Chiclayo, a Peruvian city mentioned in the new pope's first speech. American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 and obtained Peruvian nationality in 2015. 'He loved goat meat, rice with duck and ceviche, which were his favorite dishes,' Farfan said in a press conference, recalling Prevost's close contact with the poor. The bishop mentioned Prevost's passage through Chulucanas, where he was a missionary after completing his studies in the United States. He then traveled to Trujillo, where he 'set up' an Augustinian formation school, and arrived in the coastal city. 'He is our brother, a brother who passed through these lands. He gave his whole life to the mission in Peru, is sensitive to the theme of poverty,' Farfan added. Prevost is considered a moderate religious figure, a quality crucial for his election at a time when the Church is divided. Farfan described him as a spiritual guide of the 'peripheries', close to 'the people' and 'always attentive to the value of popular religiosity'. Pope Leo XIV is considered close to Francis, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years with a reformist pontificate focused on the poor and immigrants, amidst criticism from more conservative sectors. The new pope is known as 'the least American of the Americans', due to his moderation in his words and his proximity to Latin America. He will face challenges such as child abuse in the Church, global conflicts, the rise of populist governments, and the climate crisis.
https://jornaldebrasilia.com.br/noticias/mundo/leao-xiv-se-apaixonou-pelo-peru-e-por-ceviche-diz-bispo/