Author of book on Leo XIV shares her insights on the pope

The authors’ experience with then-Bishop Prevost

Véronique Lecaros: During his ministry in Peru, I met several times with Bishop Roberto, as the people of his diocese call him. I also knew him in his capacity as secretary of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), and I participated in a conference on abuse that he had promoted at the PUCP, with Jesuit Hans Zollner. Bishop Roberto was responsible for the Commission for the Prevention and Accompaniment of Sexual Abuse (2017-2023) in the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.

As a theologian, I was invited several times by the pastoral team in Chiclayo — with Bishop Prevost's approval — to give lectures, precisely to show that women can teach priests.

I also know his former “right-hand man,” his pastoral secretary César Piscoya, very well. It was with him that I wrote this book. At the time of the election, I’d been supervising his doctoral thesis in the sociology of religion for five years.

We were analyzing how Bishop Prevost had exercised his role as pastor in Chiclayo: how he had promoted the participation of the laity, how he had behaved in dialogue with a very “conservative” local reality. It was a textbook case. Chiclayo had been in the hands of Opus Dei for almost 50 years, and Robert Prevost arrived as part of the renewal of the Church desired by Pope Francis.

A pope with a global vision, shaped by his family and his mission work

Lecaros: In Peru, the Church remains marked by strong clericalism and a hierarchical system that strongly excludes women. In this context, it’s very important to underline the fact that Bishop Prevost included women in pastoral ministry. He’s the first pope born from a generation in which women study and work. His own mother worked and held a position as important as his father's; this family experience undoubtedly shaped his vision. This marks a real turning point in the way women's place in the Church is conceived.

Another essential aspect of the book is to show how diverse Catholicism can be, and how the concerns of Europeans or North Americans are not necessarily central to Latin Americans. This is the first time we’ve had a pope with a truly global vision. Having lived in Peru, Pope Leo XIV understands from the inside that struggles and passions differ from continent to continent. His travels to Africa and Asia, linked to his responsibilities, further broadened this understanding.

His project of universal “communion” should therefore not be seen as a “Europeanizing” imposition by the Church, but as an attempt to harmonize differences while taking into account the aspirations specific to each culture. For example, Latin America has a different perspective on the sacraments and devotions.

Moreover, some people very close to Bishop Roberto were not married in the Church, and he accepted them nonetheless — a sign of concrete openness to the real circumstances of people’s lives and a desire for inclusion.

Flexible yet firm; compassionate and spiritual

Lecaros: I would say flexibility, first of all. I was struck by the way he integrated Maria Yopla, a woman in her 50s, into the Augustinian training center in Trujillo, where she played an almost maternal role. This decision was outside the usual norms, but it shows his openness and pragmatism.

Added to this flexibility is firmness: to lead a community of 70 young people, solid authority was necessary. Leo XIV always showed firmness when it came to ethical issues — he never tolerated compromise in this area.

Another striking aspect is his attention to affectivity. He is someone who recognizes the importance of personal feelings and emotions in an ecclesial world that often tends to deny them. For him, it was essential to consider each individual in terms of their sensitivity and affectivity, and to allow these dimensions to be expressed in community life.

Finally, his spirituality must be emphasized: Leo XIV always maintained a regular rhythm of prayer, a spirituality that was both disciplined and lived in communion. This way of thinking and living the faith — rooted in prayer and open to others — is reflected today in his way of exercising the papacy.

Lessons from his time in Peru

Lecaros: In Peru, with the fidei donum movement in the 1980s, the arrival of many foreign priests had a profound impact on the local Church. At one point, nearly half of the Peruvian clergy came from abroad. These missionaries were mainly present in poor areas. [The future] Leo XIV arrived in this context, animated by a true missionary mystique, in the strong and positive sense of the term — that of a man aware that he had a mission to accomplish.

It’s important to note that he inserted himself into an already existing reality in Chulucanas: missionaries had already set up a program of parish renewal. Leo XIV integrated himself into this dynamic, while making his own contribution.

Remaining grounded

Coming from the United States and being a priest, he had all the assets to be well received. But what is remarkable is that he never lost his sense of reality. In a country marked by a culture of authoritarian power and courtly logic surrounding the bishops, many could have succumbed to the temptation of adulation. He, on the contrary, remained lucid, keeping his feet on the ground and taking a step back.

In Peru, Leo XIV was able to maintain his focus. This attitude is essential to understanding what can be expected of him in Rome — a place that, in a way, remains the court of an absolute monarchy, with its courtiers and its risks of disconnecting from reality. Pope Leo XIV understands how politicians may want to use him.

Finally, during his mission, he confronted a major Latin American debate: how to combat violence. As shown in his recent message to the Episcopal Conference of Peru on the occasion of Social Week, he rejected the idea of violence justified in the name of a supposed good, supported by certain representations of an authoritarian and vengeful God. He firmly reaffirmed this conviction: violence cannot be used to combat violence.

The Peruvian perspective on his papacy

Lecaros: The election of Pope Leo XIV has had a strong resonance in the country. First, it is a source of national pride and a reason for increased interest, including in terms of tourism. But beyond that, his election has a deeper meaning: in a country struck by a serious crisis of institutional credibility, religion remains one of the few solid points of reference.

In this sense, Leo XIV embodies a moral and spiritual anchor for many Peruvians. His words carry weight: while he cannot intervene directly in political life, he is capable of touching people's consciences. One episode speaks volumes about this independence: when the mayor of Lima, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a member of Opus Dei and presidential candidate, wanted to pose for a photo in Rome with Pope Leo XIV, the pope refused, believing that such images could be used for political manipulation.

His fame extends far beyond Peru's borders. Pope Leo XIV knows Latin America intimately, having lived there extensively. He has spent time in rural areas and in cities such as Chiclayo and Trujillo, in contact with young people from the Amazon and the Andes.

These social, economic, and cultural realities are found in other countries on the continent: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil — particularly in the Amazon — Venezuela, and Mexico. Thus, Leo XIV's experiences in Peru give him a concrete and embodied understanding of the challenges facing all of Latin America.

A papal visit to Peru?

Lecaros: John Paul II was the first pope to visit Peru, followed by Francis in 2018. The latter chose to visit cities that John Paul II had not visited. If Leo XIV were to make a future visit, he would probably go to Chiclayo. Perhaps also to Puerto Eten, which is a suburb of Chiclayo, especially if it’s proclaimed a Eucharistic city, as he had envisaged. He could also return to Trujillo, where the population would certainly welcome his visit.

Social and environmental issues will undoubtedly influence his choice of destinations. There’s a growing awareness of ecological issues in Peru. A visit to Iquitos, in the Amazon, is therefore not out of the question, or a trip to the Andes, where he could address indigenous communities — he speaks Quechua, after all.

In any case, his visit would represent a sign of hope for Peruvians in a difficult national context: political instability, rising crime, and above all, the massive destruction of the Amazon linked to illegal metal mining. Today, this trafficking generates twice as much money as the drug trade, devastating entire areas of forest.

In this climate of gloom and loss of hope, a visit by the Pope could restore confidence. And even if the security and political situation remains fragile, it seems stable enough to allow such a trip to take place.