Pope Leo's aim for basilica at Eucharistic miracle site in Peru impeded by legal dispute

Herald Malaysia

05-06-2025

As bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Pope Leo XIV sought to build a basilica at the site of a Eucharistic miracle, currently a chapel. Jun 05, 2025
Chapel built on the remains of the old church where, in 1649, the apparition of the Child Jesus took place in a consecrated host in Eten, Peru. Currently, it is not under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Chiclayo but is administered by the so-called Multisectoral Committee of Eten City. | Credit: Diego López Marina/EWTN News
By Diego López Colín
As bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, Pope Leo XIV sought to build a basilica at the site of a Eucharistic miracle, currently a chapel. However, that goal has been impeded by a dispute over who owns the land and marred by the fact that non-Catholic liturgies have been held there.
The Peruvian government recently declared the site to be 'of national Interest,' introducing another factor into the matter.
Jesús León Ángeles, coordinator of the group 1649 Eucharistic Miracle in Peru, explained the situation to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner.
'In 2021, Pope Leo XIV — then bishop of Chiclayo — began a crusade for the construction of the Eucharistic Shrine of Peru on an 11-hectare [27-acre] plot of land he obtained in the Ciudad Eten district [of the Lambayeque region of Chiclayo province], where the country's only Eucharistic miracle occurred in 1649,' León said.
León, who worked with then-Bishop Robert Prevost on the project, said that 'Pope Leo XIV's heart is full of love for our country,' which is why he dedicated part of his pastoral mission to promote the development of the shrine.
However, she explained that there are multiple obstacles to the construction of the Eten shrine. Just as the story of the Eten miracle 'traces back to a sacrilege in Quito,' she said, today it also 'has sacrilege and the desecration of the sacred place as stumbling blocks.'
The miracle of 1649: When the Divine Child appeared in the host
On Jan. 20, 1649, ciboria and consecrated hosts were stolen from the St. Clare Convent in Quito. When the sad news reached northern Peru, Masses of reparation were offered. Then on June 2, 1649, the eve of Corpus Christi, residents of Ciudad Eten claimed to see the Divine Child Jesus in a consecrated host.
A month later, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, four Franciscan priests claimed to have witnessed the same apparition. Later, the image of the Child on the host disappeared, and in its place were three hearts, a symbol of the Holy Trinity.
'In 1649, people wept, the bells rang, and that grief spread throughout Peru. We are in the northern region, and the Franciscan priests were here at that time,' León explained.
This event, which is recorded in the Vatican Library in Rome, in the General Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain, and in the library of St. Francis Convent Convent in Lima, was also celebrated by Blessed Carlo Acutis, who included it in his famous compilation of Eucharistic miracles.
In 2019, Prevost, as bishop of Chiclayo, initiated a process with the Vatican for the recognition of the Eucharistic miracle. The prelate told ACI Prensa that the miracle is well documented by 'the history, the data, the continuous devotion over these 370 years' in the city of Eten and that in that sense 'the miracle is approved.'
Multisectoral Committee opposes Church authority
One of the main obstacles to the construction of the long-awaited Eten shrine has been the opposition of the so-called 'Multisectoral Committee of Eten City,' a group of residents who claim to have owned the land for more than 50 years. 'Multisectoral' means 'representing a broad section of society.'
'Unfortunately — and I say this with shame — there is a group of fellow countrymen, my fellow countrymen from here in Eten, called the Multisectoral Committee, who have taken over the chapel and are bringing in false priests,' lamented Christian Pulcan, a member of the Catholic group 1649 Eucharistic Miracle in Peru.
Italo Chafloc, president of the committee, defended their position: 'We just want them to respect our ownership of the land we have occupied for more than 50 years,' he said. 'We have never closed the gates; we have always been open to dialogue.'
Chafloc further indicated that 'there is a legal issue that has been in process for some time.' However, he maintained that 'the role of the justice system takes a long time and is a process that is dragging on.'
However, the problems go beyond a legal dispute between the diocese and the committee.
Non-Catholic ceremonies and fake priests
In July 2018, Bishop Prevost was prevented from entering the chapel after learning that a supposed Mass was being celebrated without permission. Police intervened and found four men dressed as priests who later identified themselves as Anglicans. However, upon consulting with the official Anglican Church, that institution denied that they were members.
'I am a servant appointed by Pope Francis, the bishop of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Chiclayo. I came to this chapel and they closed the gates on me,' Prevost declared at the time, making a statement to the authorities.
According to Pulcan, Prevost was celebrating Mass at the St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Eten. 'After Mass, he was informed that there was another liturgical celebration taking place here in this chapel. The [future] pope was celebrating alongside the parish priest of Eten, and therefore, there could not be another simultaneous celebration without his authorization,' he explained.
Upon learning of this, the then-bishop of Chiclayo went to the Eten chapel.
'Unfortunately, the group closed the iron gates and did not allow them to enter,' Pulcan added.
Similar situations have also taken place recently, including some witnessed by the team from the Spanish-language edition of EWTN News when they visited the site. On May 11, a man named Fernando Hoyos Ortega presided over a ceremony in which he distributed Communion without being a priest. He claimed to be an Episcopalian and said he had been invited by the Multisectoral Committee.
'Those who invited me to celebrate Mass were the people of Eten, not the diocese. That's why you don't need a special permit for that,' Hoyos stated.
In 2019, the diocese had specifically addressed Hoyos' situation with a statement signed by then-Bishop Prevost, saying: 'Fernando Hoyos is not a priest, nor does he have any type of authorization from the Diocese of Chiclayo to celebrate any liturgical act.'
Despite that statement, the president of the Multisectoral Committee recently stated that he was unaware that Hoyos was not Catholic: 'Of course, now that you've just... let's say, practically clarified it for me, well, yes,' Chafló said when asked by EWTN News.
According to Pulcan, another man named Héctor Urteaga has also gone to the chapel to celebrate non-Catholic ceremonies, supposedly as a bishop. 'David Peña also came, who claimed to be a bishop. And currently, Mr. Fernando Hoyos, president of the Chiclayo Autism Association, is coming,' he added.
'It's important for people to know all of this, because many are unaware of it. Valid liturgical celebrations in Eten take place at St. Mary Magdalene Parish. All celebrations must take place there,' the layman noted.
Pope Leo XIV's objective: A basilica and a hospital
Despite the obstacles, in 2022 the Diocese of Chiclayo succeeded in obtaining a land lease from the regional government for use of an 11-hectare plot of land that includes the site of the miracle. Prevost's original plan included a basilica, a pilgrim guesthouse, a hospital, and an artisan park for crafts, food, and performances.
However, the project's progress has been curtailed by legal disputes. The diocese's lawyer, Ulises Damián, explained that there are currently two legal proceedings to determine ownership of the land.
The occupants of the site claim continuous possession for more than a decade, while the Church maintains that it is a cultural heritage site, meaning the state can only grant temporary use, not ownership.
'Legally, over time, they have attempted to access the property... however, that area has been declared a cultural heritage site,' Damián said. 'When the Ministry of Culture prepared a report, it was determined that there are not just old but pre-Hispanic vestiges.'
For this reason, according to the lawyer, usage rights of the land are claimed not only by the diocese but also the Lambayeque regional government itself, the current legal owner of the property.
Damián also referred to the Multisectoral Committee that currently occupies the site, indicating that, although it has been formalized as an organization, it does not have the authority to administer churches or religious assets.
'Initially, they helped the priest during the feast of the Child of the Miracle, but over time, this became distorted. At one point, they even brought in people outside the Catholic Church who pretended to be priests,' he lamented.
Despite the conflict, the lawyer reiterated the diocese's willingness to engage in dialogue with the occupiers. However, he insisted that communion with the Church requires respect for its authority. 'The Church does not impose; the Church is a mother and teacher. But whoever wants to be within it must respect its hierarchy and doctrine,' he emphasized.
Both national and pending Vatican recognition
On May 17, the Peruvian government declared Ciudad Eten a 'Eucharistic City of National Interest' and announced on May 21 that it would be part of the country's 'Paths of Pope Leo XIV' tourism route. Nonetheless, while the legal status of the land remains unresolved and the sacrileges continue, construction of the basilica shrine cannot move forward.
When he was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost sought Vatican recognition for the Eucharistic miracle. In 2019, he presented Pope Francis with a document detailing the history of the devotion, which compiles 20,000 testimonies of faith. Since then, the Holy See has retained the documentation.
Today, with Prevost having become Pope Leo XIV, official recognition of the miracle is in his hands.--CNA