Mother Yvonne Reungoat is a French religious and former superior general of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians — commonly known as the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco. As a member of the Dicastery for Bishops, she worked for three years with Cardinal Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — who was also a member and then prefect of this body of the Roman Curia dedicated to the appointment of bishops.
She shared her reaction with us following his election to the papacy, noting his depth and his ability to listen.
Both novelty and continuity
I.MEDIA: What was your reaction to the new pope's first steps?
Mother Yvonne Reungoat: I was very happy with his election! From his very first speech, he positioned himself in line with Pope Francis, consistent with what he has done in his life. He brings both novelty and continuity, building on what Pope Francis began and going beyond it, too, with a different personality. I’m certain that the Church will continue on the path begun with the Synod.
I was also struck by the fact that the word “peace” appeared 10 times in his speech. This is a sign of the importance of peace in the world, but also within the Church.
Crossing the North-South divide
Will his unusual profile as a man from the North who was a missionary in the South give his pontificate a particular identity?
Mother Yvonne: His profile is indeed particularly interesting, and I look on it with great hope. He comes from the United States but has lived immersed among the people of Peru, facing serious political crises, poverty, and the consequences of the North-South divide ... He really committed himself to his people in Peru. He’s therefore able to build bridges and facilitate dialogue between realities that are, a priori, opposed, even if this is difficult.
I don't know how this synthesis works in his interior, because that’s unique to him. However, it has created in him an open personality that is capable of forging links, while also maintaining a critical spirit. It’s impossible to be indifferent to the great injustices of the world when we’re directly confronted with poverty. I also experienced this when I was a religious sister in Africa: faced with daily poverty — not only material but also in terms of education, health, and life itself — I wanted to cry out against global injustice.
So he who has lived through these situations carries within him this confrontation, this tension, which is a good tension when you’re looking for ways to reduce injustice and increase solidarity. As pope, he will certainly have the opportunity to work on this!
Calm in difficult situations
You worked directly with Cardinal Prevost in the Roman Curia, along with two other women. What can you share about his method, his way of communicating?
Mother Yvonne: This collaboration was a positive experience. When the three of us women joined the dicastery in 2022, he was a member like us, and then he became the prefect a year later, in 2023. I can confirm his ability to listen, his respect for each person's thoughts, and his ability to delve deeper into issues with the eyes of faith. He doesn’t remain on the surface; he’s a man of great spiritual depth.
He’s also a serene man. In the face of challenges, I’ve always seen him maintain his serenity in order to discern the paths that could open up. This is an important point in his new responsibility: He’s a man who doesn’t lose his calm in difficult situations.
As a former superior general of a worldwide congregation, do you think that his experience at the head of the Order of Saint Augustine has also contributed to his international stature?
Mother Yvonne: It’s clear that he has had experience in governance within his congregation, as a provincial and especially as the superior general for 12 years. This experience has given him an international outlook, an openness to diversity of contexts, while remaining faithful to the charism of his congregation.
He had the opportunity to come into direct contact with different situations by visiting his communities, and I feel in tune with these experiences.
Implementing the Synod on Synodality
Did he take on a new dimension, a new visibility during the synodal assemblies of 2023-2024?
Mother Yvonne: Yes, certainly. The fact that he participated in the two Roman assemblies of the Synod allowed him to experience the synodality that has marked us all. When he said in his first words that we must “walk together, hand in hand,” and when he mentioned the Synod, it gave us the certainty that he will continue this experience, which is only just beginning.
It’s very important that he mentioned this, because now everything will depend on the implementation of the Synod. Another challenge is the implementation of the Constitution on the reform of the Roman Curia, which was published by Pope Francis but still needs to be put into practice.
