Jan 20, 2026 / 10:52 am
Cardinal Michael Czerny explained the reasons for choosing the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Chiclayo, Peru, as the international site for the solemn celebration of the 34th World Day of the Sick, which will take place there Feb. 9–11.
“The choice of Chiclayo is not due primarily to the pope, but to a practical reason,” Czerny told reporters at the Vatican during the presentation of the pope’s message for the day.
“We needed a place where, given the climate in February, it would be less likely that the celebration would be affected by bad weather,” the cardinal said, calling the decision a “happy coincidence.”
Chiclayo, on Peru’s northern coast, is located in a typically warm region. In February, during the Southern Hemisphere summer, temperatures can range from about 19 to 30 degrees Celsius (66 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Czerny also highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s reaction, saying the pope was “very happy with the choice” the Vatican made in November 2025. In that context, he said, the pontiff wanted to share in his message his pastoral experience in the region.
Leo XIV was a missionary in Peru beginning in 1985, first in Chulucanas, and he returned to the country in 1988 to carry out pastoral work in Trujillo, where he served for more than a decade. In 2015, he was named bishop of Chiclayo.
Later, in 2023, Pope Francis placed him at the head of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican. He also holds Peruvian citizenship.
“It moved me to hear how he himself has been touched by the way the people of his diocese respond to suffering — not only the professionals, but everyone,” Czerny said.
The Vatican prefect added that during the celebration in Chiclayo — which he said he will attend as the pope’s envoy — it will be possible to perceive “the importance of the theme of compassion and care for the sick, combined with the joy that the pope comes from this region.”
The cardinal concluded by saying he hopes the World Day of the Sick observance will reflect both the spiritual dimension of care for the ill and the active participation of the entire local community.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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