By Fr Paweł Rytel-Andrianik and Karol Darmoros
Celebrating Pope Leo XIV on his saint’s day, St Robert Bellarmine, Fr Robert Hagan OSA, head of the Augustinian Province of St Thomas of Villanova, said the Augustinians believe that the election of their brother to the See of Peter is an opportunity for the world to rediscover the values of St Augustine: truth, unity, and love.
Fr Hagan, who has known the Pope for 27 years, stresses that he combines a deep prayerful bond with God with a desire to be close to people. As he explains, “He has this incredible combination of a prayerful relationship with the Lord and loving desire to be with the people. This son of Augustine is now the Good Shepherd for all of us.”
He recalls his encounters with Fr Robert Francis Prevost when he was provincial in Chicago and later prior general of the order. “I took my vows to prior general Robert Prevost. He was kind and approachable, and now in this role for all of us, you can see why God picked him.”
Augustinian foundations
According to Hagan, the spirituality of Leo XIV is deeply rooted in the values of St Augustine. “Pontifex means bridge builder,” he notes, adding that his words echo Augustinian accents: a call to peace, friendship, and community.
The Pope, he says, helps the world discover what it needs most today: “Veritas, Unitas, Caritas – truth, unity, love, friendship.”
The new Holy Father, Hagan observes, has won the support of the faithful through his style of communication: calm, clear, and accessible. “People like him. Young people are being invited to be part of this. Even those who lapsed are hearing an invitation to return.”
A Man of mission and community
An important part of Leo XIV’s background is his missionary work. “He’s American, but he also served in Peru for 20 years with the poorest of the poor. He didn’t just learn the language, he learned the culture. For us, prior general was like a mini Pope.”
‘Who’s on the balcony? That’s our brother’
Fr Hagan recalls the emotions of the day of the election. “Who’s on that balcony? Roberto Francisco Prevost! That’s our brother.” He remembers that in the provincial office in Villanova, people were crying, laughing, and hugging, while students remarked: “They said, he walked on these same paths, he studied in these same classrooms, he ate in these same cafeterias. And now he’s Pope.” The first months of the pontificate, Hagan adds, Leo XIV have conveyed a message of peace and reconciliation.
Augustinians beside the Pope
On Sep 15, Pope Leo XIV addressed members of the Augustinians’ General Chapter, the order from which he comes. He told them: “The ineffable gift of divine charity is what we must look to if we want to live our community life and apostolic activity to the fullest, sharing our material goods as well as our human and spiritual ones.” He concluded by urging his Augustinian brothers to continue the work of the Chapter “in fraternal joy, with a heart ready to welcome the suggestions of the Spirit,” praying that “the Lord’s charity may inspire your thoughts and your actions, making you apostles and witnesses of the Gospel in the world”. – Vatican News
