A Pastoral Commitment That Transcends
Before his election to the pontifical throne, while still bishop of Chiclayo, Pope Leo XIV committed to achieving the official recognition of a double Eucharistic miracle that occurred in his diocese during the 17th century. This event, which remained relatively unknown outside Peru, gained global notoriety thanks to the virtual exhibition created by the future saint Carlo Acutis.
A Meeting That Strengthens Ties
Recently, the pontiff received his predecessor in the see of Chiclayo, Bishop Jesús Moliné Labarta, in an audience. During the meeting, the Spanish bishop highlighted the deep bonds that unite the prelature with the Eucharistic sanctuary of Eten, a Peruvian town within the diocesan boundaries. According to tradition, it was there that, during the solemnity of Corpus Christi on June 2, 1649, the Divine Child would have appeared in the Sacred Host.
The Historical Narrative of the Prodigy
The miracle would have occurred in a crowded church, in the presence of the parish priest and the mayor. A 44-page document, preserved in the archives of the Franciscan province convent, offers a detailed account. It describes the vision as «a child, from the waist up, with a human face and body, blond hair, and violet garments… The whole people repeated: ‘Miracle! Miracle!'» A second prodigy would have occurred weeks later, on July 22, when Jesus would have manifested again in the consecrated host, this time before the religious who had transferred the Eucharist to another tabernacle.
The Path to Official Recognition
This is the only Eucharistic miracle officially recorded in Peru, with over 20,000 testimonies of faith collected. In 2019, it was Bishop Robert Francis Prevost, then bishop of Chiclayo, who sent all the documentation to Rome to request its canonical recognition. Today, that same prelate occupies the chair of Peter as Leo XIV, thus demonstrating a deep attachment to Eucharistic devotion, especially towards the figure of «The Child of the Miracle.»
The Digital Bridge of Carlo Acutis
The international dissemination of this event is largely due to the blessed Carlo Acutis, known for his exhaustive digital exhibition on Eucharistic miracles. According to Bishop Moliné Labarta, there is a spiritual affinity between the Pope’s Eucharistic sensitivity and that of the young blessed. This bond manifested recently during the Corpus Christi procession between the basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major, where the Holy Father walked the entire route on foot, carrying the monstrance with fervor. In his message, the pontiff emphasized: «In the Eucharist, between us and God, something unique happens: the Lord receives and sanctifies the bread and wine that we place on the altar, and transforms them into the Body and Blood of Christ, a sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world.»
Original source: fr.zenit.org (published on July 2, 2025)
Photo: Manuel González Asturias, SJ on Unsplash
