In an interview released by the Augustinians, the popeʼs personal secretary offers details about the Holy Fatherʼs prayer life and insights into his style of governance.
Pope Leo XIV goes through his day centered on prayer, silence, and seeking God amid his responsibilities at the helm of the Church, said his personal secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Rimaycuna, in an interview released May 18 by the Order of St. Augustine.
Rimaycuna offered details regarding the daily spiritual life of the pontiff, whom he described as a man who “lives always in the constant presence of God.”
“From the very start of the day, he has his fixed times for prayer, including holy Mass and the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours; we also pray the rosary,” the priest explained.
Father Edgard Rimaycuna speaks with ACI Prensa. | Credit: Screenshot/Los Agustinos
The pope’s personal secretary added that Leo XIV throughout the day “always seeks contact with God through silence and through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel.”
According to Rimaycuna, the pontiff’s spirituality is deeply influenced by the thought of St. Augustine. “St. Augustine used to say: God is so intimately within man that man himself is within himself,” he noted.
“The Holy Father seeks God within himself; he speaks with him, that is prayer,” he added.
A spirituality that translates into closeness
The Peruvian priest said the pope’s spiritual experience is subsequently reflected in his interactions with “the people with whom he works.”
This closeness, he noted, is manifested in “the time he gives to every person who seeks him out” and in the attention he pays to those who confide their difficulties or concerns to him.
“When someone entrusts him with a specific intention or concern, he keeps them very much in mind,” he added.
A pope who listens before deciding
Rimaycuna also described Leo XIV as a patient and prudent man in the governance of the Church. “He is not a man of immediate decisions. He always thinks, listens, and takes into account even opposing views,” he stated.
The secretary emphasized that the pontiff seeks to avoid confrontation and promote unity.
“He is a man who seeks to build bridges, seeks dialogue, and always avoids confrontation,” he added.
Peace: A constant concern
The papal secretary also noted that one of the Holy Father’s greatest sources of suffering is the current wars. “He suffers a lot because of all of this,” he said, referring to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, noting that Leo XIV’s first words after being elected pope were a call for peace: “Peace be with all of you.”
“He always works for peace; he constantly calls upon authorities for a ceasefire,” he noted.
The pope will always need our prayers
Rimaycuna asked the faithful to pray constantly for the Holy Father, given the spiritual weight the pope bears in leading the universal Church.
“We can never offer too many prayers. The Holy Father will always need our prayers,” he emphasized.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
