Florentine is the only Malagasy woman consecrated to celibacy for the Kingdom in the Emmanuel Community. From Madagascar, she received Pope Leo XIV’s first words on peace as a blessing:

“They really touched me and gave me hope that this peace will truly come into the world, into each person, into each family, and especially into the Church. Yes, we hope for peace everywhere — peace that comes from Jesus!”

Rosemary, a married woman from the United States, felt the same emotion:

“I was struck by Pope Leo’s IXV’s initial greeting of “peace” as this is truly what our world needs. I was equally struck by his intentinal choice to speak in Italian, Spanish and Latin on that initial meeting of the faithful. While Pope Leo is American, he is the Pope for all the faithful. His invitation to be humble servants, given during the mass celebrated with the Cardinals, speaks clearly to how Pope Leo has lived out his priesthood. I pray in thanksgiving that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church and I pray for Pope Leo in his role as our pastor. “

Jorge Gomez Lazarte, a Peruvian priest from the Emmanuel Community, recalls the joyful surprise of hearing the new pope mention the country close to his heart:

“During his speech from the balcony of the Loggia of Blessings at St. Peter’s Basilica, it was a great surprise when he took a few moments to mention the city of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, because he spent a lot of time there on mission. I believe that’s where his heart is. On the day of his election, I was overwhelmed with emotion, and my first reaction was to pray for the Holy Father and thank God for the election of someone who is a compatriot at heart.”

Nancy, a married American, was moved by Pope Leo XIV’s missionary spirit:

“I was really touched by the way Pope Leo referred to his papacy as a mission, as an Augustinian he comes across as having a missionary heart , and I believe it is with this heart that he will lead the Church. In his first homily, he asked for the grace “to spend oneself to the utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.” This is a true missionary spirit, one that inspired me to be on mission in my daily life so that all those around me may come to know and love the Lord. I am hopeful for Pope Leo XIV papacy and I will be praying for him daily.”

Thérèse, an American woman consecrated to celibacy for the Kingdom in the Emmanuel Community, was also touched by the new pope’s missionary heart:

” I was really touched by the first blessing and homily of the Holy Father and his reminder that Christ goes before us and gives us peace. That the Lord is always near and that He calls us to go on mission and bring Him to others. And yet , this is not somethingk that we do on our own but as the Church with our brothers and sisters. I was also touched by his insistence on each of us having a personal relationship with the Lord and the reminder of how we are called to walk together on this journey of faith and mission. “

Pablo, an American, was with his young grandchildren when he discovered the new pope and remembers his tenderness:

What touched us most was the tenderness of Pope Leo XIV’s first words — words of peace and hope. Words we all long to hear. Words we all need. As we listened, we couldn’t help but feel a deep resonance with our own call in Emmanuel — a call to mission, to be missionaries of God’s love, rooted in the transforming encounter we experience in adoration.

From that very moment, a sense of hope began to rise in us — fittingly, in this Year of Hope. In the hours and days that followed, our love for this new Holy Father grew. We found ourselves eagerly reading his words each day, wanting to know more about his heart, his vision, and his message for the Church in our time.

And what a joy it was for us English speakers to hear him begin his homily and his address to the media in English — such a personal and inclusive gesture.

On Sunday, during his homily, we were especially moved as Pope Leo XIV again called us to evangelize — to proclaim the Good News with joy and boldness. But how did he invite us to do this? By listening. First, to the voice of the Good Shepherd — especially in His Word and in adoration. Then, by listening to others, building bridges, and showing compassion.

We felt renewed. We felt inspired. We felt filled with hope.

And so, with grateful hearts, we thank God for this sacred moment in the life of the Church — a new beginning in faith, entrusted to the gentle and courageous leadership of Pope Leo XIV, our loving shepherd.”

Fidesco volunteers on mission in Peru also shared their joy. Stéphane, who is Franco-American, said:

“I was deeply moved by the election of Pope Leo XIV, especially when I learned that he is an American citizen — which is unprecedented — and that he spent many years as a missionary in Peru, to the point of also becoming a Peruvian citizen. I got chills when he spoke in Spanish and sent a message to his former parishioners in the Diocese of Chiclayo. I also understood why his name sounded so French to me, given his origins. It was almost unbelievable to feel such a deep connection with a pope I was discovering for the very first time.”

Julie, who was born to an American mother and a French father and is currently serving on mission in Peru, echoed Stéphane’s sentiment:

“We feel close to Leo XIV and aspire to follow his example of commitment, service, and charity — both during our mission and beyond.”

Ségolène watched the Habemus Papam announcement with Peruvian friends and a religious sister who cares for impoverished elderly people in the slums of Manchay:

“We were so surprised to discover that he had been a missionary here in Peru, that he loved Peru — a country we’ve come to love over the past two years. We felt close to him, close to the Church, connected, in communion. The broadcast was in French, so we had to translate for our friends who were with us at home.

There was a moment of silence — a kind of suspension — when we heard him speak in Spanish.

And when our Holy Father said these words: ‘To all of you, brothers and sisters (…) from around the world, we want to be (…) a Church that always seeks peace, always seeks charity, always seeks to be close, especially to those who suffer,’ we turned to the sister and said, ‘But he’s talking about you, Sister! He’s talking about you, who serve the poor!’ She trembled with joy, happy to feel fully a part of her Church — the Church she loves, the one she has trusted and remained faithful to for 38 years.”

Ségolène added that the pope himself is a sign of unity:

“Our Protestant friends here joyfully told us how proud they are that their country of heart is the homeland of the new Pope. It was beautiful to see how this brought them closer to Catholics, in a context where we often hear of strong disagreements between Protestants and Catholics, even leading to serious family conflicts. Pope Leo is helping to reunite Peruvian Christians.”

Finally, from Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique felt personally spoken to by this passage from Pope Leo XIV’s first homily in the Sistine Chapel, addressed to the cardinals:

“Even today, there are situations where Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a sort of charismatic leader or superhero — and this happens not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians who, in this way, end up living in a kind of practical atheism.”

He explains:

“I clearly see that he’s describing a very real situation in Côte d’Ivoire: our churches are full and there is great fervor, but we are often looking for a charismatic leader — because we think Christ comes to save us socially. But we don’t always understand that having faith means believing that in everything I live — including what weakens me, touches me deeply, or makes me feel fragile — the Lord loves me and is there with me.”