Catholic singer Juan Camilo Perez experienced one of the most meaningful moments of his mission as a digital evangelist: presenting Pope Leo XIV with a 400-year-old crucifix, restored as a sign of hope and unity for the Church.
The piece, carved from pine wood and discovered by Perez in an antique shop, was half-destroyed and missing its arms when it came into his possession.
“The Ecuadorian sculptor Andrés Felipe López restored it, and we added the wooden frame with gold leaf,” said Juan Camilo.
The gift was not chosen at random. For the singer, the crucifix embodies history, tradition, and the countless prayers of those who once contemplated it. It also symbolizes Pope Leo XIV’s call to digital missionaries: “to repair the networks.”
“This beautiful piece of art represents something that was destroyed, but also the power of working together as sowers of hope. The result of unity and brotherly love can lead us to a new rebirth. Go and mend the nets together,” he explained.
The Meeting with the Holy Father
The delivery of the crucifix had a journey of its own. Initially, it was to be presented to the Holy Father on July 29, after a Mass with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers. However, in the excitement of the moment, the gift never made it into the Pope’s hands.
Finally, thanks to the efforts of the Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication, Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, Perez—together with Sofía Alas and Father José Pablo—secured tickets for the August 6 audience, where the meeting finally took place.
When they approached the Holy Father, Alas presented him with a T-shirt from the Jubilee’s organizing staff. It was too small for the Pope—and even for his secretary—which made everyone laugh.
“I explained the history of the crucifix to him and told him that we, the digital missionaries, wanted to be the arms that this crucifix lacked—that we wanted to work with him to extend not only our arms but also our networks in the digital world,” Juan Camilo recalled.
In that moment, the artist shared that they represented all those evangelizers who spread a message of faith and hope through social media.
“The Pope listened to us and thanked us for everything we do,” he added.
The encounter left an indelible mark on Perez.
“It was like the four of us were in a bubble where everything else disappeared. It was just the four of us there—laughing, talking—as if we’d always known each other and been brothers.”
At the Service of the Jubilee
Perez joined the Jubilee’s organizing team at the invitation of Bishop Ruiz and Verónica Brunkow, a consecrated laywoman of Regnum Christi, who saw him as a key collaborator.
“The Jubilee has been in preparation for years with an extraordinary team. People from all over the world—priests, consecrated women, and lay people—each did their part, and all that love was reflected in the event.”
Perez explained that his role was in leadership and organization.
“I spent 38 days in Rome, working hard with the team. Our days started at 8 a.m. and went late into the night. We always ended with Mass in the dicastery chapel and a time of sharing,” he said.
Of all the Pope’s words, one continues to echo in his mind: “Go and repair the nets.” For Perez, it is an urgent call in a world marked by empty ideologies and a growing disconnection from God.
“Mending nets makes me think of a broken fisherman’s net where the fish escape. I believe that’s where we should focus—on the holes, the escape routes,” he said. “Jesus has been, and will always be, our hope. I will keep sharing what I’ve learned so that others may have this encounter of love with Him.”
A Final Message to Young People
“I don’t believe dreaming should be just an invitation—it should be an exhortation to recognize who we are as sons and daughters of God, and to walk in faith with the flame of hope in our hearts. Let us dream again and believe that we can do great good for humanity when we walk with Jesus.”