Father José-Antonio Jacinto, a priest of the Diocese of Chiclayo (Peru) for 34 years, is a man of many vocations: parish priest, professor of Church History at the Catholic University of Chiclayo (Peru) and professor of Church History at the Catholic University of Chiclayo (Peru). Saint Toribio of Mogrovejoand formator in the diocesan seminary. His life took an unexpected turn on May 8, 2025, when the then Bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost, ascended to the chair of Peter, with the name Leo XIV. Fr. José-Antonio has maintained a close relationship with the pontiff, forged over years of pastoral collaboration. In this interview, he recounts his experience with the Pope, his anecdotes and the legacy of his service in a diocese marked by diversity and the challenges of faith.
How did you meet Pope Leo XIV?
- I met him in 2014, when he came to Chiclayo as bishop. At first, we didn't know much about him, but his simplicity and openness struck us. In one of our first conversations, he asked me for support for the cathedral, even though he already had an intense workload. His humility and gratitude marked our relationship from the beginning.
What anecdotes do you remember from your relationship?
- He trusted and was grateful to the priests around him from the very first moment. For example, I remember that he asked me to write a summary of his biography for the website of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference. When I presented it to him he only corrected minor details and showed great gratitude for that small service.
He also congratulated the priests on their birthdays and was close to them through whatsapp. In Chiclayo we are about one hundred diocesan priests and twenty religious, who attend fifty parishes and two pastoral centers. The population is one million three hundred thousand people, of which one million are Catholics.
What would you tell us about the way you work?
- With the El Niño floods, he showed initiative and great leadership. Or during the pandemic, especially when he opened the churches before anyone else in Peru, showing great courage.
How did you experience your election as Pope?
- It came as a great shock to me. I wrote to him the next day: "Holy Father, from the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, I reiterate my prayers". He replied: "United in prayer. May the Spirit guide us.
A few days later I saw him in Rome, at the meeting he had with people from the diocese of Chiclayo. He treated us with great affection. His fidelity to us, even as Pope, is a treasure. He is still in the whatsapp group of priests and has even posted some messages after his appointment as Pope.
What legacy does he leave in Chiclayo?
- He strengthened the University and the pastoral work in the parishes, continuing the pastoral work that the previous bishops had left with the presence of a young clergy that had been formed in the diocesan seminary.
He was a great manager of resources for parishes, such as cars and donations. He loved to drive and joked that he would be remembered for the number of cars he got for the parishes. He was very selfless, proof of this is that he offered the car he used when he went to Lima for us to use for pastoral work.
