Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga (born September 24, 1989 in Chiclayo)[1] is a Peruvian priest, philosopher, and theologian. Since May 8, 2025, he has served as private secretary to Pope Leo XIV.[2]
Biography
Originally from Chiclayo, a city on the northwest coast of Peru and the episcopal seat of Robert Francis Prevost before his creation as cardinal and subsequent election as Supreme Pontiff, Rimaycuna Inga began his education at the Juan Pablo Vizcardo y Guzmán National School, and his secondary school in San José de Chiclayo, from which he graduated in 2005. He later entered the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Major Seminary. After his initial formation, he served as a pastor at the Santa María Catedral Church in Chiclayo until 2017, when he moved to Rome to continue his studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute.[3][4]
According to some accounts, Prevost, as a cardinal, requested his presence in the Vatican a few months later. This interpretation is supported by a message posted on social media in October 2023, in which Rimaycuna Inga bid farewell to the Chiclayo community with words that allude to a future collaboration in Rome:[5]
"Along with the nostalgia of leaving this beautiful place, there is the joy and consolation that a friend awaits me there in Rome with whom I will continue to work for the good of the Church."[6]
Prior to his current role, he lived for a year in Manesseno, a town in the Liguria region, where he established ties with the local inhabitants. He currently serves at the Holy See in collaboration with Leo XIV, a link that became evident during a visit to Genazzano.[7][8]
1. Abbate, Mauro (May 13, 2025). "Who is Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, the Peruvian priest "shadow" of Leo XIV?". Donna Glamour (in Italian). Retrieved July 24, 2025.
2. "Pope Leo XIV appoints a young man from Chiclayo as his personal secretary." Infobae. May 11, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
3. Calderón, Camila (May 11, 2025). "Pope Leo XIV appoints a young man from Chiclayo as his personal secretary: who is Edgard Rimaycuna and how did he meet the pontiff?" Infobae. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
4. INFOVATICANA (May 15, 2025). "Edgar Rimaycuna Inga will serve as Pope Leo XIV's private secretary." InfoVaticana. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
5. "Leo XIV appoints Peruvian as his private secretary – DW – 05/16/2025." dw.com. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
6. Valencia, Martha (May 12, 2025). "Pope Leo XIV appoints a man from Chiclayo as his personal secretary at the Vatican." El Búho. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
7. Perú 21 (May 11, 2025). "Peru is key: Pope Leo XIV's secretary will be a young man from Chiclayo." peru21.pe. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
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The Holy Father has now appointed a second personal secretary, in addition to the Peruvian, an Italian, Father Marco Billeri.
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