Peru declares Pope Leo XIV's 2015 citizenship file cultural heritage of the nation
Peru's Ministry of Culture has given heritage status to the handwritten application in which the Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost Martínez sought Peruvian citizenship in 2015, a step required before he could be named bishop of Chiclayo
Peru's Ministry of Culture has declared Pope Leo XIV's naturalization file cultural heritage of the nation. The file is the document in which the then Augustinian friar Robert Francis Prevost Martínez applied for Peruvian citizenship in 2015, a requirement before he could be appointed bishop of Chiclayo. The announcement came Wednesday as the pope began his apostolic visit to his second homeland, according to the Peruvian news outlet RPP. The initiative came from the National Superintendency of Migration, Peru's immigration agency, which formally submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Culture.
The application is written in Leo XIV's own hand on letterhead of the Diocese of Chiclayo, where he was then serving as bishop. In it he describes his origins in Chicago, his pastoral work in Peru since 1985 and his reasons for seeking Peruvian nationality. The file carries both his signature and his fingerprint.
The Ministry of Culture said the file is a primary source for reconstructing the pope's life and understanding his ties to the country. "Because of its authenticity, its content and its testimonial character, the dossier is a source for researchers in history, theology, sociology and political science, as well as for the public interested in the pope's life and his relationship with Peru," the ministry said.
Leo XIV, 71, has belonged to the Order of St. Augustine for nearly five decades. He began working in Peru in 1985 and spent more than 20 years there as a priest and bishop. After serving as prior general of his order in Rome, he was bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, the year Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and made him a cardinal. He was elected pope on May 8, 2025.
The pope will remain in Peru until Monday on the final and longest leg of his South American trip, which began on November 6 and took him to Uruguay and Argentina before he reached his former diocese. In Peru he is scheduled to visit Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa. He is due to return to Rome on Tuesday. Crowds cheered him along the 11 kilometers (7 miles) from Callao airport to the center of Lima. "With all my heart, I am glad to be in Peru again," he said.
Based on reporting by Javier Ruiz Arregui for Iglesia Noticias. This article was translated and adapted from Spanish with the help of artificial intelligence.
