Pope Leo XIV Crowns Our Lady Entrusting his Pontificate to her and says "keep walking forward together, as one family of God...confident that Mary....always shows us the sure path that leads to Jesus" FULL TEXT

At 7:55 a.m., Pope Leo XIV left the Episcopal House of Chiclayo and walked to the Cathedral of Santa Maria for the Rite of Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin.
The Holy Father entered the Cathedral through the side entrance. After a brief visit to the presbytery and altar, and a moment of reflection in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, he reached the atrium in front of the Cathedral's main entrance, where the rite took place.

After the Liturgy of the Word, the Holy Father delivered his homily.

At the end, the Pontiff left the Cathedral and moved by car to the Teniente Coronel Pedro Ruiz Gallo Air Base – Grupo Aéreo Nº 6 , from where he departed by helicopter for Santa Cruz.


RITE OF THE CORONATION OF THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV

Cathedral of Saint Mary (Chiclayo)
Saturday, 14 November 2026

[Multimedia]

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Dear brothers and sisters,

With a heart filled with joy, I give thanks to God for being here with you today to celebrate our faith as we have so often done, and in the same cathedral in which I began my episcopal ministry in the service of this Diocese of Chiclayo. With gratitude for the years the Lord granted us to walk together, I now prepare, as the Successor of Peter, to crown this beautiful image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. This gesture is particularly significant, for the crown I will place upon our Lady’s head is intended to symbolize the tribute of gratitude and filial love offered to her by the Pope, together with you and the whole Church, as we acknowledge her as the loving Mother and Patroness of Chiclayo, exalted by God as Queen of heaven and earth.

As we heard in the reading from Isaiah, darkness continues to lie in wait even today and seems to envelop us completely. We feel threatened by the uncertainty of widespread violence and by the unspeakable suffering that continues to afflict so many of our brothers and sisters. Yet, despite this darkness, which so often dims our hope and weakens our trust, God’s gift continues to shine before our eyes: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us” (Is 9:6). This Child is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. Yes, a defenseless child is God’s answer to a humanity plunged into darkness, yet longing for unity and reconciliation. He alone is the light that illumines the most hidden corners of human existence, the only light capable of rescuing us from sin and undoing its disastrous consequences in our personal and communal lives. He reveals who we truly are: sons and daughters of God, invited to share in the joy of his salvation and in the gladness of knowing that we are brothers and sisters.

With good reason we invoke the Immaculate Virgin as “Cause of our joy,” for through the “yes” with which she responded to the annunciation of the Angel (cf. Lk 1:38), God made man, entered the history of our world. By her obedience to the Father, he makes all things new (cf. Rev 21:5), rescues us from the tragedy of sin and reveals to us the eternal destiny to which every man and woman is called.

My dear sons and daughters of this beloved land of Chiclayo: devotion to the Immaculate Virgin is part of the Christian roots that shape your identity and strengthen your faith. With loving care, the Mother of God has accompanied this people for generations and continues to accompany you today. Trusting in her intercession and protection, I invite you to keep walking forward together, as one family of God. A family that longs for a world marked by love and compassion, forgiveness and the pursuit of justice. A family confident that Mary Most Holy always shows us the sure path that leads to Jesus, who is the source of abundant life and truth, and who continually offers us new opportunities.

To you, our Immaculate Mother, I lift my gaze and my heart today with filial affection. At your side I learned to be the shepherd of Chiclayo. You accompanied me through its towns and cities. You taught me to meet its people and to be attentive to their needs, as you did at the Wedding Feast of Cana. To your Immaculate Heart I entrust today my life and my ministry as Successor of Peter. I also ask you to watch over and protect the People of God making their pilgrim way in these lands and to guide them always to your Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters, before I conclude, until we meet again, I would like us to join together in reciting this prayer to our heavenly Mother:

Holy Mary, filled with the presence of God,
who throughout your earthly life humbly obeyed
the will of the Father and gave us an example of simplicity,
we beg you to continue walking with us,and to obtain for us from your Son, Jesus Christ, through your maternal heart,
the gift of listening attentively to the Holy Spirit,
so that, with the help of his grace,
we may be ready to follow him faithfully,
to be builders of peace and reconciliation,
and servants of the Kingdom of God and of our brothers and sisters. Amen.