Before arriving at the loggia and being presented as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, Leo XIV was Robert Prevost, an Augustinian who first arrived in Peru as a missionary. After spending more than 11 years in that country, he returned to the United States. He then went back to Peru in 2015 when he became Bishop of Chiclayo.
As bishop in this Peruvian diocese, he was close to everyone. We have testimony of this thanks to Marlyn Arqueros, a member of the Secular Institute of the Crusaders of Mary. She worked closely with him, both at the Catholic University of Santo Toribio Mogrovejo — where Bishop Prevost was chancellor and Marlyn was a professor — and in his pastoral work.
“My people need to know that their bishop is here.”
Marlyn, who is in charge of catechesis groups together with other women from the Crusaders of Mary, recalls that Bishop Prevost never missed an opportunity to visit communities, no matter how remote they were.
“He used to say (...) ‘My people have to know me; my people need to know that their bishop is here.’ That was very beautiful.”
She recalls with particular admiration his work on behalf of the victims of two major natural disasters that struck the city. Promoting Caritas and mobilizing international aid, he teamed up with lay volunteers and walked the streets bringing aid, “being on the street, living those moments with them.”
Today, Caritas in Chiclayo rejoices at his election. They know that God has chosen him because of his great heart.
Marlyn and her sisters in Crusaders of Mary also marvel at this election. For them, Robert Prevost’s path to the papacy has been a process. First, God sent him as a missionary to meet the people, to see how the world is, to go out into the streets. Then, after he had that experience, God called him to be bishop, cardinal, and now pontiff.
His great concerns as a pastor
As a bishop, his pastoral activity was not only close to the people, but also firm “with criteria and sound doctrine.” He focused “on transmitting the truth, on going to the essentials” to help people strengthen their faith.
But he was also a pastor who was very concerned about priests, about giving them accompaniment, pastoral work, and a solid and very human formation. The family and the defense of life were also among his main concerns.
And regarding young people, Bishop Prevost never stopped listening to them and calling others to open themselves to dialogue, reminding them that the challenges facing youth are important and varied.
Marlyn highlights Bishop Prevost's treatment of young people from the university during World Youth Day in Lisbon. When a group of students expressed interest in attending, he personally took charge of helping with the paperwork, supporting the group advisors, and organizing a send-off.
At the bishopric, he gave them a missionary cross and their pilgrim kits; in Lisbon, he sought them out to meet with them, talk with them, answer their questions, and call on them to pay close attention to Pope Francis' messages. In Rome, at the end of the World Youth Day, he took them to see the Sistine Chapel, walking with them and explaining everything with a smile.
A pontiff marked by his experiences in Peru
The small city of Chiclayo, which currently has fewer than 800,000 inhabitants, stands out for its Catholic faith. This helped Bishop Prevost forge ties with the communities that today celebrate the Peruvian pope, who greeted them with palpable affection in his first speech.
“He has greatly valued popular devotion, and I believe that this has also led him to form very strong ties with us, which is what everyone in the parish is talking about,” Marlyn says.
And, regarding his election and the excitement in Chiclayo, she adds, “It gives me so much joy; I say, ‘Lord, thank you for looking upon us. You have truly noticed the smallest, the poorest,’ because we are truly a humble city.”
In Marlyn's opinion, his time in South America not only left ties, but also refined his mission as a servant of Christ, and now as Pope. Regarding the name he picked, she points out, “I think he chose it precisely because of the situations he has experienced — what he has seen here.”
Peru is a country marked by corruption, poverty, and social injustice. It’s possible to conclude that Pope Leo XIV wants to continue the work of Leo XIII in favor of workers, decent working conditions, and human rights.
A prudent Pope
Marlyn highlights his prudence as one of his main virtues:
He’s a very prudent person, I can assure you of that. Before saying anything, he prepares himself (...) In fact, I saw it in his speech; I believe he wrote it down so he could say what is essential, what is needed, what comes from the heart, what God tells him, concrete things. So, I see a very prudent Pope. God will give him the grace [he needs].
And she concludes, “The Pope will know how to dialogue (...) He knows he has to listen, he has to welcome everyone.” Marlyn is certain that, just as Pope Francis knew how to convey this, Leo XIV will also do so.
