Since
, testimonies from people who knew him as Father or Bishop Prevost have continued to emerge, and they all agree in describing him as a true missionary, capable of speaking with people, attentive to social challenges, and deeply driven by the passion to proclaim the Gospel.
Prevost comes from Chicago, but Robert Prevost holds dual nationality: U.S. and Peruvian (the latter by conviction).
He is the first missionary pope, at least in the last century; an Augustinian, son of an order with a strong missionary vocation, deeply rooted in Central and South America.
Prevost spent many years (and as bishop from 2015 to 2023) in Chiclayo, Peru’s northern Lambayeque region, which holds him in its heart.
In the hours following his election, some photos went viral online in which he was seen on horseback or with his legs submerged in water during one of the many floods that cyclically hit Peru.
Testimonies from the heart
Italian Salesian Gaetano Galbusera, former apostolic vicar bishop of Pucallpa (Ucayali region, in the Peruvian jungle), who met Prevost at meetings of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, refers to him as "a shepherd with the smell of sheep," according to Vatican News.
"Many of the bishops who live in the peripheral areas of the country lead a simple life, dress in civilian clothes, and Prevost has always adapted well to this style," Gaetano said.
"My memory of him is that of a wise man who knows how to listen and who handles delicate situations with great balance (I had personal proof of this through a case that occurred in my diocese). Prevost is nourished by a strong spirituality, and being near him, you become aware of it," he recounted.
Gesture of communion
Referring to Leo XIV, Monsignor Giorgio Barbetta, 53, who has been in Peru since 2000, stated that "his participation in my episcopal ordination was a gesture of communion. It is one of this defining characteristic: he is 'someone who is there, who accompanies you.'"
Since 2020, Barbetta has been auxiliary bishop of Huari (Ancash region) and spiritual son of Father Ugo De Censi, founder of Operation Mato Grosso, a missionary and solidarity initiative that began in 1967 and over time has taken root in four Latin American countries, including Peru.
The Italian clergyman continued: "Prevost physically accompanied me to the Dicastery for Bishops when he was not yet its prefect. He did so without speaking, but his presence gave me peace."
"When I saw him appear on the loggia, I rejoiced and trembled. I rejoiced because he is a beautiful person, I trembled because one is not entrusted with mere authority or governance, but something from God: to be a bridge between earth and heaven. Who wouldn't tremble?" he concluded.
(END) JOT/JMP/MVB