Dear brothers and sisters,

I am very glad to be here with you. How I have longed for this moment! As I made my way here, so many memories returned to me from the years when the Lord entrusted me with the care of this beloved diocese. One which remains especially dear to me is the night before I began my ministry as Bishop of Chiclayo.

I remember spending that night in prayer, asking the Lord, through the intercession of Saint Turibius, to grant me the grace to be a shepherd after his own heart. At the time, I did not know all that lay ahead of me or how much I would receive from you. Thank you for welcoming me with the joy and hospitality that are so characteristic of you, for your many gestures of affection and also for the delicious food you have prepared so lovingly. Even those familiar flavors have brought back memories of the happy times I spent here. Thank you for making me feel, once again, that I am home.

I am grateful to Bishop Edinson Farfán for his warm words of welcome and to those who have shared their testimonies with us. I listened to them with emotion and gratitude, recognizing in your words the faith of this people whom I always carry in my heart.

Today we bring to a close the Jubilee Year marking the third centenary of the canonization of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, and we do so here, at the shrine dedicated to him. Zaña offers us a summary of his life, for it was here that he surrendered his spirit to the Father while carrying out the pastoral visitation entrusted to him as Bishop of this region. His life reminds us that a shepherd’s love is measured also by the physical and existential distances he is willing to travel in order to proclaim Jesus Christ.

Here in Zaña there is an empty tomb where I recently stopped to pray. The remains of Saint Turibius rested there for a short time before being transferred to Lima. As I contemplate it, I think of what remains of his passage through this land: the faith of so many communities and the dedication of those who have followed in his footsteps, bringing the Gospel to the most remote places. During my years in Chiclayo, I had the grace of encountering many of them. I especially remember my visits to Incahuasi and Kañaris, the warm welcome extended by their families and the dedication of the priests and — in a special way — the religious sisters who accompany them. I often arrived to proclaim the Gospel and returned having understood it a little better, thanks to your faith.

Zaña also preserves the memory of generations of Africans who were torn from their homes and subjected to slavery. Many endured great suffering and humiliation. Dear brothers and sisters of African descent, today I want to express my affection and closeness to you. I have had the joy of coming to know your faith, your traditions and the love with which you preserve the memory of your ancestors. Thank you for all that you contribute to the life of this Church. May the example of Saint Martin de Porres, on whom Saint Turibius himself conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation, remind you how deeply God loves you and encourage you to persevere on the path to holiness.

Dear brothers and sisters, the life of Saint Turibius also invites us to look at the needs of our own time. I know that many families in this region suffer because of crime, extortion and insecurity. I am pained at the thought of those who live in fear, of people whose honest labor is under threat and of those who continue to experience discrimination. I hold you in my prayers and ask the Lord to grant you the peace you so deeply need. I urge you to remain united, to care for one another and never to grow accustomed to the suffering of others. There is always someone we can help, someone we can listen to, a family we can accompany.

In the letter I recently addressed to the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, I recalled that Saint Turibius was a shepherd who “had first allowed the Gospel to shape his very existence” (Letter to the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean on the occasion of the Third Centenary of the Canonization of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo, 8 September 2026). How wonderful it would be if the same could be said of each one of us! Dear priests, nourish your friendship with Jesus Christ each day, celebrate the sacraments with love and reverence, and always remain close to the people entrusted to your care. Dear parents and grandparents, continue to pass on the faith to your children and grandchildren. And you, young people, open your hearts to the Lord, who knows you and has a beautiful vocation for each of you. Let us allow his word to transform our lives and teach us to love as he loves us.

Before I conclude, I would like to return to that night of prayer with which I began this reflection. Many years have passed, and I carry so many of your faces in my memory. I remember with special affection those who have already gone to the Father’s house and whom I hope to meet again one day. All of you remain firmly in my prayers.

That night I asked the Lord to teach me how to be a shepherd. Looking back on the years that have passed, I now understand that you have been part of God’s answer to that prayer. For this, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your faith, your affection and all that you taught me during those years. Now that the Lord has entrusted me with the care of the universal Church, I ask him once again for the same grace, conscious of how much I still have to learn. I ask you to continue praying for me, as I know you have been doing.

May the Most Holy Virgin Mary and Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo intercede for you, so that you may continue faithfully along the paths of the Gospel. May God bless all of you. Thank you.