In an interview released by the Augustinians, the pope\u02bcs personal secretary offers details about the Holy Father\u02bcs prayer life and insights into his style of governance.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Rimaycuna offered details regarding the daily spiritual life of the pontiff, whom he described as a man who \u201clives always in the constant presence of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom 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,\u201d the priest explained.<\/p>\n
Father Edgard Rimaycuna speaks with ACI Prensa. | Credit: Screenshot\/Los Agustinos<\/p>\n
The pope\u2019s personal secretary added that Leo XIV throughout the day \u201calways seeks contact with God through silence and through prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Rimaycuna, the pontiff\u2019s spirituality is deeply influenced by the thought of St. Augustine. \u201cSt. Augustine used to say: God is so intimately within man that man himself is within himself,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Holy Father seeks God within himself; he speaks with him, that is prayer,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
A spirituality that translates into closeness<\/p>\n
The Peruvian priest said the pope\u2019s spiritual experience is subsequently reflected in his interactions with \u201cthe people with whom he works.\u201d<\/p>\n
This closeness, he noted, is manifested in \u201cthe time he gives to every person who seeks him out\u201d and in the attention he pays to those who confide their difficulties or concerns to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen someone entrusts him with a specific intention or concern, he keeps them very much in mind,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
A pope who listens before deciding<\/p>\n
Rimaycuna also described Leo XIV as a patient and prudent man in the governance of the Church. \u201cHe is not a man of immediate decisions. He always thinks, listens, and takes into account even opposing views,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The secretary emphasized that the pontiff seeks to avoid confrontation and promote unity.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a man who seeks to build bridges, seeks dialogue, and always avoids confrontation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Peace: A constant concern<\/p>\n
The papal secretary also noted that one of the Holy Father\u2019s greatest sources of suffering is the current wars. \u201cHe suffers a lot because of all of this,\u201d he said, referring to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, noting that Leo XIV\u2019s first words after being elected pope were a call for peace: \u201cPeace be with all of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always works for peace; he constantly calls upon authorities for a ceasefire,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
The pope will always need our prayers<\/p>\n
Rimaycuna asked the faithful to pray constantly for the Holy Father, given the spiritual weight the pope bears in leading the universal Church.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can never offer too many prayers. The Holy Father will always need our prayers,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n