Pope Leo XIV’s Peruvian birthdays: Simplicity, closeness, and community

Pope Leo XIV is pictured here during a past birthday celebration when he served as bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Diocese of Chiclayo

Lima Newsroom, Sep 13, 2025 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Robert Prevost celebrated various birthdays in Chiclayo, Peru, with gestures marked by simplicity, closeness, and community as remembered by laypeople and groups of faithful who shared these moments with him during his years as bishop of the diocese.

Father Jorge Millán, who worked closely with Prevost in Chiclayo, recalled the sober style of these celebrations: “We used to gather as a family with the bishop: lunch, the classic cake, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him… It was just a pleasant afternoon, nothing more, but then he would return to work,” he shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

In the mornings, he recounted, the bishop received greetings from institutions and schools in the city, while in the afternoon he celebrated a birthday Mass at the cathedral.

“That was his solemn celebration with the citizens. Everything was generally very simple, but at the same time very emotional, because he welcomed these gestures and was delighted,” the priest added.

Janinna Sesa Córdova, former director of Caritas Chiclayo, fondly recalled a surprise prepared by the team of volunteers: “One year we made him believe we were looking for him for an urgent matter. When he arrived, we surprised him with balloons, a big card, and a cake. He was truly surprised because he wasn’t expecting it.” 

The Eucharistic Miracle 1649 Peru group also has fond memories. Its coordinator, Jesús León Ángeles, especially highlighted Sept. 14, 2022, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the authorities had declared a national quarantine: “We brought him a cake with his image and the design of the future Eucharistic Shrine of Eten on it. When he saw us, he began to applaud with a smile and said, ‘Thank you very much, let’s keep journeying together.’”

Every Sept. 14, his birthday, coincided with the feast of the Lord in Captivity, a local devotion. As Millán recalled, “he never put his [birthday] first; he participated faithfully in the celebration and preferred to remain unnoticed in that sense.”

This affection is expressed today in Rome. César Fernández, president of the Jesus of Nazareth in Captivity Association of Monsefú-Rome, announced that in 2025 they will carry a large banner with the message “Happy birthday, Holy Father Leo XIV. Chiclayo and Monsefú await you,” along with traditional music and dances. “For us, it’s a way of returning the affection he sowed in our land.”

Testimonies agree that, both in Chiclayo and elsewhere, Pope Leo XIV never sought the limelight. He preferred to share the table — with kid goat, duck, and rice, or his favorite dessert, lemon pie — and celebrate with the community in a fraternal atmosphere.

“He was characterized by his simplicity. He ate whatever was offered to him, drove himself to the parishes, and sat with the people to gaze at the stars. He always conveyed closeness and humility,” Jesús León Ángeles recalled.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.