Pope Leo XIV's Peruvian Heart

Before becoming the first American pope, Robert Prevost spent over a decade as a missionary in Peru's poorest regions. "I learned theology from grandmothers whispering prayers in Quechua," says the Augustinian priest turned pontiff. His experiences as Bishop of Chiclayo (2015-2023) inspired radical reforms - Vatican events now serve quinoa instead of pasta, and the papal cassock incorporates Andean textiles. The multilingual pope (Spanish/Italian/Portuguese) still celebrates Mass in indigenous dialects. "The Church must listen to the peripheries," insists the man who once traveled by donkey to remote villages. Critics call his focus too provincial, but Peruvian Catholics proudly display "Papa Prevost" murals nationwide.