(BSS/AFP) - Church bells echoed out as Catholics congregated in the Peruvian capital on Thursday to celebrate the election of American-born Pope Leo XIV, who left his mark after years of service in the Andean country.

"He is a good man, even to those who are bad," 73-year-old priest Juan de Dios Rojas told AFP of Robert Prevost during a visit to El Callao beyond Lima.

A photograph of Leo XIV, who will hold a mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, was on display at Dios Rojas`s chapel, where the doors have been flung open for the congregation.

Dios Rojas was eager to point to Leo XIV`s shared priorities with his Argentine predecessor, in particular meeting with those struggling from poverty.

The 69-year-old Chicago native who was a bishop in the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo was "very attentive to others and seeks by all means to reach out to people in need," Dios Rojas told AFP.

Leo XIV first set foot in Peru some four decades ago as a missionary, before becoming bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo in the northwest of the country and gaining citizenship in 2015.

He spent a year in El Callao during the pandemic and, despite restrictions, visited soup kitchens in less well-off areas of the port town.

"He showed his closeness and simplicity with the people," the current bishop in El Callao, Luis Alberto Barrera, recounted to AFP.

Prevost worked from a spartan office now adorned with a photograph of him with pope Francis.

"He was a very simple person who adapted to everything, like any good missionary," Barrera said.

- `A sign` from God -

The conclave`s relatively quick decision in the Vatican to elect Leo XIV caught some off guard, with many surprised to learn he is a dual national.

"The pope is Peruvian. It`s a sign that God is sending someone who will solve the country`s problems," Salvador Oliva Ramos, a 75-year-old retiree, told AFP outside Lima Cathedral in the capital.

"He eats ceviche!" he added.

The pope`s first speech from the balcony of St Peter`s Basilica was projected onto a screen outside the cathedral where people waved Peruvian flags.

"I cried with joy when I heard the news. It`s a blessing for Peruvians, even though he was born in the United States, because he lived in Peru for several years," Carolina Flores, a 38-year-old lawyer, told AFP.

"Listening to his speech, it`s a continuation of Francis. It makes us happy," she added.

Prevost left Peru in 2023 when pope Francis called him to Rome to promote him to archbishop.

"I like that he speaks Spanish," Josefa Fuenzalida told AFP.

In his first speech at the Vatican, Leo XIV spoke briefly in Spanish when he delivered "a greeting to all and especially to my beloved diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru."

There, he said, "a faithful people accompanied their bishop, shared their faith and gave so, so much to continue being a Church that is faithful to Jesus Christ."