But their enthusiasm more than made up for their smaller numbers as the former Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo returned to this coastal city of nearly 700,000 as the leader of the Catholic Church.
As he toured in an open-air popemobile at the Pampas de Pimentel, a vast desert plain just outside Chiclayo, the crowd erupted in cheers, many waving white-and-yellow Vatican flags.
Some had been waiting since last night to catch a glimpse of the pontiff, many of them forced to walk as lines of cars had blocked the roads where vendors sold hats, mini pope dolls and sweet Peruvian bread.
Maria Esther Chozo Reyes, 76, said she had taken a 12-hour bus ride from Lima and arrived Thursday afternoon before she camped overnight. “He knows the people of Chiclayo and he’s lived here, he’s made his mission here,” she told The Associated Press. “We really need his blessing.”
Thanking the people for their love and support, in his sermon Leo said it was a blessing to be in his former home.
