Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga / Facebook
VATICAN CITY // Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, a young parish priest from Peru, is being presented by Italian media as Pope Leo XIV’s personal secretary, a role he played when the Pope was prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops.
According to an analysis published by the Italian news site Open, Fr. Rimaycuna Inga’s journey to this role began when he first arrived in Italy, “spending about a year in Manesseno, Liguria (Northern Italy,) where he established deep connections with the local community. He later moved to Rome to work closely with [Cardinal] Prevost, who has since become Pope Leo XIV.”
Their strong bond is well-documented in photographs posted on Fr. Rimaycuna Inga’s social media profile two years ago, showing the two together. Alongside the image, Fr. Rimaycuna Inga expressed his gratitude and affection:
“Thank you very much Bishop Robert for everything, for allowing me to work alongside you, but above all for your friendship and trust. Before my bishop, my friend. Have a good trip and a big hug! Oremus ad invicem!”
Open noted that Fr. Rimaycuna Inga accompanied Pope Leo XIV during his surprise visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Gennazzano on Saturday, May 10, only two days after being elected pope. A picture shows the priest standing discreetly among the papal guards.
Born and raised in Chiclayo — the diocese led for many years by then-Bishop Prevost — Fr. Rimaycuna Inga began his education at the Colegio Nacional San José in Chiclayo in 2001, graduating in 2005, before entering the major seminary Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo.
According to his Facebook profile, after his ordination, he served as vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish and later at the Cathedral of Santa María in Chiclayo. In 2017, he furthered his theological studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
Reflecting on his pastoral experience in Chiclayo, Fr. Rimaycuna Inga wrote on October 27, 2023: “Over these years, I have been able to experience and prove that in the Cathedral one feels very good, it’s a pleasure to work here, and one is happy serving in the main Church of Chiclayo. And for that reason, along with the nostalgia of leaving this beautiful place, there is the joy and consolation of knowing that there in Rome, a friend awaits me with whom I will continue working for the good of the Church. Rome 2.0”
According to the Italian news site Primocanale six months ago, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost visited the Augustinian convent of the Church of Our Lady of Consolation in Northern Italy.
Fr. Giorgio Rivarola, parish priest of Manesseno, recounted: “Pope Leo [then-Cardinal Prevost] came to visit us because his secretary Fr. Edgard was with me as an assistant. When he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops he called him [Fr. Edgard] to Rome, and he [Cardinal Prevost] wanted to come to Genoa, and we invited him on the occasion of our celebration. He celebrated Mass and then we all had lunch together.”
