Leo XIV: From Peru with love

The Pope is Peruvian, and since Peru is a country so deprived of joys, don’t ask us to make the bitter distinctions typical of the meticulous biographer who uses that bleak and dreadful phrase that’s been repeated hundreds of times today: “naturalized Peruvian.” He has a Peruvian ID that doesn’t expire, as noted in the copies of his document that have gone viral — just as his Peruvian identity will never expire. A Peruvian is born wherever they please, as Doris Gibson rightly said of people from Arequipa.

Everyone knows Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago, but who cares about that boring detail of whether he was a fan of the Cubs or the White Sox? There’s no harm in admitting that he just as well could have been born in Chiclayo or Trujillo, in northern Peru, because when he had to speak from the heart, he did so in the language every human uses to improvise — the one through which they express emotion or sorrow — and Pope Leo XIV chose to do so in clear, fluent Spanish, recalling the legions of parishioners who accompanied him through decades of pastoral work in Peru.

Don’t ask Peruvians for a restrained reaction. In just 30 minutes, there were already hundreds of shared photos; the faithful began dusting off childhood albums to show us full-color snapshots from the 1980s, featuring a graceful young man with a modest demeanor and a reserved smile — one that, if you didn’t know him, you might attribute more to shyness than serenity. Vintage photos from Chulucanas often show him in a t-shirt with a cross hanging from his neck. “He’s my godfather,” said a teenage girl from the north, as her proud mother showed pictures of Robert Prevost as if she were unveiling the Rosetta Stone.

One of the last images captured of Pope Leo XIV in Peru shows him in massive rain boots, knee-deep in the aftermath of floods that had devastated the country’s north, leading a campaign to support those affected by the tragedy. I don’t know many Peruvian pastors who have waded into the mud to help the people. On the contrary, there are those who have exploited ecclesiastical privileges to enrich their institutions, as was the case with the now-defunct Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (Sodalitium of Christian Life).

In difficult times for the Church in Peru — still reeling from the scandal of abuse within the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, which exposed the complicit and complacent attitude of so many prelates who turned a blind eye to that shameful case — the election of Leo XIV has brought relief to many of the main victims. This is evident in the photos posted by José Enrique Escardó, the first Sodalitium whistleblower, alongside the newly elected Pope, accompanied by hopeful messages.

It is also reflected in a fascinating interview with Pedro Salinas — the journalist who uncovered the abuse cases within that sect together with Paola Ugaz — in which, days ago, he had already anticipated the smear campaign launched by several media outlets that had once cozied up to the Sodalitium and began attacking Prevost just before the conclave began.

Salinas not only debunked the accusations against Prevost, proving them false, but the same defamatory outlets have since deleted their posts to leave no trace — not out of shame (as they don’t seem to know what that is), but out of fear of being exposed for their crude bullying, which may intimidate in Peruvian courts but only provokes laughter in Rome. As always happens with those dim-witted fools who once defended the Sodalitium, the scheme backfired: Prevost was elected as swiftly as he was joyfully. So if they had hoped to secure a more convenient result for their patrons, they should have thought twice.

Of all the Holy Fathers of the Church, Saint Augustine has always moved me the most, precisely because he didn’t have an impeccable résumé. When you read his Confessions, you vividly understand that he, more than anyone, knew he was one of those saints with very dirty overalls. And that’s exactly why his theology of love is unmatched — beyond cosmic order and the perfection of truth, it’s hard not to be moved by the Bishop of Hippo’s theology of love. He moved so many that even the brightest skeptics were dazzled; just ask Hannah Arendt, who devoted her doctoral thesis to understanding his concept of love.

Pope Leo XIV comes from that same lineage, which is why his closeness to Francis is not about seeking power, but an everyday way of understanding the world. The world under Saint Augustine’s rule, in which Pope Leo XIV lived as an Augustinian, is not a world where sin horrifies and paralyzes, but one where it is embraced as part of the human condition — and ultimately dissolved in the radiance of love that knows how to build bridges. That allegory of bridges and love is the one Leo XIV repeated most in his message in his first address.

Whether he chose the name Leo because it was the name of Francis of Assisi’s closest friend when he founded his first community, or out of reverence for the social teachings of Leo XIII — the first pope to formally begin what would eventually be known as the Church’s Social Doctrine, the Magisterium’s vision on secular matters like politics and the economy — matters little for now. What’s hopeful, in any case, is that both explanations are comforting.

The son of migrants, deeply sensitive to the harsh conditions faced by those fleeing hunger or war, he has not hesitated to criticize the hardline positions of the U.S. government — something that surely hasn’t gone over well in places where everyone has bowed to Trump. But few things say more about a bishop than his episcopal motto, In illo Uno unum — which is nothing less than an invitation to remain united, just as in the Trinity. In times when some seek to build walls, it’s always heartening to have popes who want to extend bridges. In an era where political polarization tries to strand us on opposite shores, it is good news to have a pontiff who prefers unity, but will still denounce violence and injustice.

In the coming days, Peru is probably going to be unbearable — please bear with us, Latinos. It’s not every day you get to brag about having a pope. We won’t hold back on memes and viral videos — nothing will be enough. Whether his favorite dish is ceviche, duck rice, or seco; whether he supported the soccer team Alianza or Aurich; whether he preferred mazamorra, turrón, or King Kong — all of it will become beloved traits of a pontificate that feels so rejuvenated it has once again turned its gaze toward Latin America. Only in this neighborhood could we pull off two popes in a row and leave everyone smiling.

Let’s hope his pontificate bears fruit in a world ruled by oligarchs and alpha-male billionaires who dominate public discourse with a toxic masculinity built on steroids and ketogenic diets so they can live forever — despite having no clue how to actually live. We are starved for ordinary leaders who, instead of bragging about the size of their chainsaws to compensate for more human shortcomings, boast about how many deaths they prevented, how much hunger they eased, how much abuse they confronted — in short, how much hope they left us.

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