Listen to this little one's message:
Pope Leo, I saw you on the tablet, and I really like your hair and your glasses. Bye, lots of kisses and hugs.
This is how one of the most heartwarming messages began, sent by a kindergarten class at a school in Madrid to Pope Leo XIV.
Drawings like Alicia’s, full of colorful hearts; Juan’s, where he drew himself next to the Pope; Elena’s, showing Pope Leo beaming from ear to ear on the balcony the day of his election; or Sara’s, with the Pope surrounded by hearts. The drawings show how these young children imagine and feel about the Pope: close, joyful, and affectionate.
Pilar Sánchez is the teacher of these little artists. She explains:
PILAR SÁNCHEZ
Kindergarten Teacher, La Natividad School, Madrid
The children started asking me lots of questions. They’re very curious and full of enthusiasm. They’re sensitive kids, and they wanted to know what Pope Leo XIV was like, what his name was, what he looked like… so I projected images and videos of Pope Leo XIV on the smartboard, and they decided to draw him using markers.
Pilar sent the drawings to a relative of hers, who works as a journalist and covered the conclave. Everyone found them so touching that she thought: Why not send them to the Pope himself?
PILAR SÁNCHEZ
Kindergarten Teacher, La Natividad School, Madrid
I got to work, grabbed a giant envelope, bought stamps for the Vatican, and put in all the kids’ drawings and a letter I wrote — and we sent it by mail. What was our surprise — our huge surprise? When we received a reply from the Vatican.
The message you're seeing here is the one the Vatican sent them. In the letter, it says that Pope Leo received the drawings. He also gave his blessing to the children, their families, the teachers, and the entire school staff.
But of course, to have a new pope, there has to be a conclave. Do these little ones know what that is? Listen for yourself…
Some cardinals gathered in a chapel and wrote the name of the pope they wanted to choose, they put it in a chimney and if black smoke came out, it meant they hadn’t chosen a pope, and if white smoke came out, he was chosen and everyone clapped. And when the cardinal came out on the balcony, what did he say, kids? Albemus Papam!! Habemus papam!
Audio clips where they explain what a conclave is in more detail and more clearly than some adults. The teacher still can’t believe what happened.
Leo XIV, I love you.
Do you want to ask the Pope for something?
That God protects you.
Do you want to say anything else?
I love you.
These children's faith, tenderness, and a few markers may move mountains — or at the very least, earn a papal reply.
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Trans. CRT
