Pride and praise for Pope Leo who left lasting impression

Church bells echoed out as Catholics congregated in the Peruvian capital on Thursday to celebrate the election of American-born Pope Leo XIV, who left his mark after years of service in the Andean country.

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“He is a good man, even to those who are bad,” 73-year-old priest Juan de Dios Rojas told AFP of Robert Prevost during a visit to El Callao beyond Lima.

A photograph of Pope Leo XIV, who was to hold a mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel yesterday, was on display at Father Dios Rojas’ chapel, where the doors have been flung open for the congregation.

Father Dios Rojas was eager to point to Pope Leo XIV’s shared priorities with his Argentine predecessor, in particular meeting with those struggling from poverty.

The 69-year-old Chicago native who was a bishop in the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo was “very attentive to others and seeks by all means to reach out to people in need”, Father Dios Rojas told AFP.