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Source: https://www.osvnews.com/feed/

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<title>Pope’s Michigan high school classmate says he was smart, well-liked and ‘tutor’ of the school</title>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Stechschulte]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 22:39:46 +0000</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[Robert Francis Prevost, the future Pope Leo XIV, "was known as the tutor of the school," a high school classmate recalled. "If you had problems" with English, history or math, "you'd go see Prevost."
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-michigan-high-school-classmate-says-he-was-smart-well-liked-and-tutor-of-the-school/">Pope’s Michigan high school classmate says he was smart, well-liked and ‘tutor’ of the school</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[DETROIT (OSV News) — The new Roman pontiff — the vicar of Christ on earth —  attended high school in western Michigan.
For Catholics from the Great Lakes state, that sentence might take a while to sink in.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV spent most of his childhood in the greater Chicago area, but he attended high school at the now-closed St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, to be exact.
The Chicago Sun Times, in a <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/religion/2025/05/03/robert-prevost-pope-francis-conclave-catholic-church-dolton-saint-mary-assumption-parish">report May 3</a>, said he attended the small Augustinian prep school in the early 1970s as he was discerning the priesthood with the Order of St. Augustine. He was a member of the class of 1973.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">He Was ‘Simply Known’ as ‘Bob’</h2>
The school’s class sizes were small at the time, so if you were a student there, it was likely you knew the future pope, born Robert Francis Prevost. To his friends, he was simply known as “Bob.”
One of those friends was Father Becket Franks, a Benedictine monk who currently lives and serves at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois.
“I was there from 1968 to 1972, so he was a year behind me,” Father Franks said. “The school was so small, there couldn’t have been more than 65 people. Everyone knew everyone.”
Today, the former school is known as the Felt Estate, a 12,000-foot historic mansion in Laketown Township that, from 1949 to 1977, served as a Catholic prep school run by the Augustinians. At its peak in the 1960s, the seminary high school enrolled 180 students, most of whom came from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Close-Knit Place</h2>
Those who attended the school say it was the type of close-knit place where lifelong memories were formed.
“We all knew each other. Even though we had different courses for different grades, all of our curriculums were smashed together,” Father Franks told Detroit Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Detroit. in a phone interview. “I was in choir with Bob. I was in reader’s theater with him. We interacted all the time together.”
Father Franks remembers the new Roman pontiff as a highly intelligent, well-liked student, and the sort of classmate who would go out of his way to help everyone else, especially those in need.
“The most outstanding thing is how smart he is,” Father Franks said. “He was into everything, he knew everything, and it came easily. And he brought all of us along with him.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Helped Classmates With Schoolwork</h2>
By the end of his sophomore year, the future Pope Leo XIV was already speaking fluent French, and would frequently help classmates with their schoolwork.
“He was known as the tutor of the school; if you had problems with your English paper, go see Prevost. If you have problems with your math homework, go see Prevost. If you didn’t understand some history project, go see Bob,” Father Franks said. “And Bob would help us.”
A newspaper clipping from the Holland Sentinel from Oct. 7, 1972, shared that Bob was honored “for his high performance on the 1971 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.”
The future pope also was “consistently on the Honor Roll,” was in the National Honor Society and part of the school’s Mission Club. He was vice president of the Student Council, president of the Library Club, senior class president and a senator at the Student Congress in Lansing.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook</h2>
He was also editor-in-chief of the school’s yearbook — which he signed for Father Franks, simply, “Best of luck always, Bob Prevost.”
Father Franks remembers the new pope for his down-to-earth personality, quiet wit and characteristic Midwest charm, but also as someone who could appreciate a good joke and a little levity, he said.
“He was quiet and serious, but with wry humor,” Father Franks said. “He does have a good sense of humor, but it’s understated and quiet — when he starts that smirk on his face, you know he’s going to laugh.”
Like the rest of the country, Father Franks wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing an American — let alone his high school friend — step out onto the loggia above St. Peter’s Square on May 8. As the curtains drew back and the words “Dominum Robertum Franciscum Prevost” were spoken by the cardinal proto-deacon, he nearly fell out of his chair.
Father Franks’ initial reaction “wasn’t really Benedictine monkish,” he laughed.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘I Started Screaming’</h2>
“I started screaming. I was in the kitchen, and the monks came running in, thinking something was wrong,” Father Franks said. “And I said, ‘My high school classmate just got named pope!'”
Although cellphones aren’t usually allowed in the abbey’s dining room, the prior made an exception, and the monks huddled around Father. Franks’ tiny phone screen to watch as Cardinal Prevost was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV.
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“Everybody let me play my phone live of Bob coming out on the loggia, and I just started crying,” Father Franks said. “And everyone’s going, ‘That’s so cool. You know him.’ I went to school with him. It was a very special, wild day.”
Father Franks said he has kept in touch with the new pope “on again, off again” over the years — a Christmas card here, a letter there. Occasionally they’d see each other during events, sharing a quick greeting.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Classmates Shocked and Proud</h2>
Since the announcement, he’s spoken with other classmates who are equally as shocked and proud.
“One is an ER doctor down in Georgia, and I called him, and he said one of his nurses told him,” Father Franks said. “He said, ‘Can you believe it? Bob is the pope.'”
Like many, Father Franks is confident Pope Leo XIV will be a blessing for the church, just as Bob Prevost was a blessing to his high school classmates.
In 2024, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about his time in high school <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U3yBFdt4QM">during an event at St. Jude Church</a> in New Lenox, Illinois.
According to one report, the future pope told members of the parish how he was impacted by those at St. Augustine, including one educator who “was a really dedicated teacher and Augustinian,” he said.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Novitiate for Midwest Augustinians</h2>
He entered the novitiate for the Midwest Augustinians in 1977. He professed first vows in 1978 and final vows in 1981. He was ordained a priest the following year. Then-Father Prevost spent decades as a missionary in Peru, but later returned to the U.S. as provincial of his order’s Chicago-based Midwest province and then his order’s worldwide leader, a role he held for two, six-year terms.
He was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from September 2015 until January 2023 when he was named the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He was elevated to cardinal in September 2023.
Father Franks said the man who signed a high school yearbook “Bob Prevost” continued to humbly sign letters the same way throughout the years.
His signature will hold a bit more weight these days — even if the name is different.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">He’ll Further Church’s Social Teachings</h2>
“Pay close attention to why he chose Leo XIV,” Father Franks said. “If you know anything about Pope Leo XIII, this is a man who is going to further the social teachings of the church. He’s someone who’s going to stand up for unions and workers and migrants and immigrants. That’s going to be Pope Leo.”
As the world gets to know the 266th successor to St. Peter, Father Franks and others hope they see the same caring, thoughtful, smart and faith-filled follower of Christ they knew as a teenager growing up along the shores of Lake Michigan.
“He’s just a humble, forthright, down-to-earth guy,” Father Franks added. “He was always respectable and in position, but at the same time, always himself.”
This story was originally published by Detroit Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and distributed through a partnership with OSV News. Michael Stechschulte is the editor-in-chief of Detroit Catholic.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-michigan-high-school-classmate-says-he-was-smart-well-liked-and-tutor-of-the-school/">Pope’s Michigan high school classmate says he was smart, well-liked and ‘tutor’ of the school</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Pope’s choice of name puts new focus on challenges posed by AI, says expert</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/popes-choice-of-name-puts-new-focus-on-challenges-posed-by-ai-says-expert/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=popes-choice-of-name-puts-new-focus-on-challenges-posed-by-ai-says-expert</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Charlie Camosy]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 20:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence (AI)]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13073</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In his homily to the College of Cardinals May 10, Pope Leo XIV said that he had chosen his name partly because just as Pope Leo XIII addressed “the social…
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-choice-of-name-puts-new-focus-on-challenges-posed-by-ai-says-expert/">Pope’s choice of name puts new focus on challenges posed by AI, says expert</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[In his homily to the College of Cardinals May 10, Pope Leo XIV <a href="https://youtu.be/dz2n_ci3oyc">said</a> that he had chosen his name partly because just as Pope Leo XIII addressed “the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution” today, “the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labor.”
What are some of these new challenges posed by artificial intelligence, or AI? 
Joe Vukov, an associate professor of philosophy at Loyola University Chicago and the author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Human-Era-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1565485998">Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence</a>,” spoke with OSV News’ Charlie Camosy about these challenges and his hopes with this new papacy. Vukov, who serves on the AI Research Group for the Vatican’s Center for Digital Culture, also discussed a few ways the church might address the rise of AI.
— Charlie Camosy: First, can you just give us some early thoughts and impressions about the election of Leo XIV? First personally, we’ll get to professionally.
— Joe Vukov: I’m excited and hopeful! Pope Leo XIV is not only the first American-born pope, but he is also from Chicago, where I live and teach. I just checked Google Maps, and he was raised just a little over 40 miles from where I live now. That’s not next door, but a lot closer to the Holy Father’s childhood home than I ever thought I would live! 
This moment is, I think, a great moment for the American church, and for American Catholics. We should all be encouraged that we have given the church a leader, and also challenged to be bolder in our prayer and proclamation of our faith. I pray that Leo XIV’s papacy is a time of evangelical fervor and renewal for the American church. 
I’m also very encouraged by many of the early moments of Leo XIV’s papacy. While he will no doubt in some ways continue in the legacy of Pope Francis, I loved that he wore the red mozzetta and stole when he was introduced, signaling a nod to more traditionally minded Catholics as well. 
His first homily as pope was excellent — laser-focused on the proclamation of Christ and humble and prayerful in tone. And as we will discuss more, he has already signaled his concern about the cultural challenges we are currently facing, brought on by the rise of artificial intelligences and other new technologies.
— Camosy: OK, now let’s exploit your professional background in philosophy, Catholic thought and technology. When I learned that our new Holy Father had taken the name Leo XIV, I immediately wondered if he saw himself as helping lead a response to massive cultural changes wrought by a technological revolution, just as Leo XIII was. What do you make of this?
— Vukov: I’m not surprised at all by the choice of name. One of my children (our toddler) is named Leo, and when we saw the white smoke billowing, I told the kids, “Of all your names, Leo is most likely for the pope’s new name!” And so it was. 
As you say, Leo XIII was pope during a moment of great social and cultural change, much like today. Rather than an industrial revolution, however, we face a revolution brought on by distinctively 21st-century technologies — artificial intelligence, robotics, social media and the like. The new Holy Father, <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/may/documents/20250510-collegio-cardinalizio.html">in his first address to the College of Cardinals</a>, has confirmed that this indeed inspired his choice of name.
This isn’t a brand new priority for the church. Just two days before the Holy Father’s election, I was presenting to a USCCB committee — together with a panel of other experts — on the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence raises. For the past couple years, both Pope Francis and the Vatican likewise repeatedly returned to the topic of AI and the current cultural revolution: most thoroughly in “<a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20250128_antiqua-et-nova_en.html">Antiqua et Nova</a>,” but also in other notes and addresses. “<a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/04/08/240408c.html">Dignitas Infinita</a>” references AI and new technology, as does “<a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html">Laudate Deum</a>,” as did <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20231208-messaggio-57giornatamondiale-pace2024.html">Pope Francis’ 2024 New Year’s Day address</a> and <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2024/june/documents/20240614-g7-intelligenza-artificiale.html">his address to the G7</a>.
The church has already emerged as a thought leader on issues of artificial intelligence and new technologies, and has signaled that the massive cultural shifts we are seeing demand careful reflection by our church and the Holy Father himself. 
Going forward, I would love to see Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican and our bishops continue to take up this thought leadership. Again, we have already seen our new Holy Father signal that it will continue to be a priority for him. 
I would also like to see even more in the way of concrete guidance for faithful Catholics. One thing I love about Catholic social teaching — inaugurated in some ways by Leo XIII’s “<a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html">Rerum Novarum</a>” — is the balance it gives between abstract theological reflection and concrete advice. That’s what we need today. Yes, we need the abstract reflection and careful thought provided by “Antiqua et Nova.” But faithful Catholics are also hungry for concrete guidance. Pope Leo XIII provided that kind of guidance, and I’m hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will do so as well.
— Camosy: What are some ways in which Catholic ideas and practices can help address the technological concerns with which the Holy Father is concerned?
— Vukov: There are at least three: First, in this moment of social and technological change, it can be easy to lose sight of what makes us human. During Leo XIII’s papacy, humans were being reduced to “cogs in a machine,” and documents like “Rerum Novarum” resisted that view. 
Today, we are facing a different kind of reductive view of our humanity — we are being presented with a vision according to which human intelligence can be artificially simulated, human achievement can be measured in terms of efficiency and productivity, and human relationships can be swapped out for digital ones. Compare that with the Catholic view of human nature, according to which our intelligence is essential embodied and oriented to the truth, human dignity is not a matter of what we accomplish but rather grounded in our status as bearers of the image of God, and our lives are essentially relational. The Catholic view of human nature is magnitudes richer than the one on offer in Silicon Valley. The world is hungry for such a view, and it is the job of Catholics to proclaim it boldly.
Second, the church’s social and cultural teachings can help us address the great crisis of dehumanization we are facing. This crisis is similar in some ways to the crisis we were facing during Leo XIII’s papacy. During both periods, cultural forces were challenging the dignity of workers, the value of work itself, and our understanding of what it means to flourish as a human being. “Rerum Novarum” and Catholic social teaching rose to meet these challenges. And we can readily draw on this tradition to meet our new cultural moment.
For example, we can lean on teachings about the dignity of workers as we reflect on strategies for responding to the ways in which AI is already reshaping the economy. But the cultural moment in which we are currently living is also dehumanizing in new ways, and will demand different kinds of responses from the church. Leo XIV’s papacy cannot simply rinse and repeat the wisdom of Leo XIII’s papacy. Today, we face new kinds of challenges. 
I’m worried about large-scale dehumanization brought on by new technology, yes, but also dehumanization on a more personal level. I’m worried about a future in which, on a very personal level, we never ask a friend for a book recommendation because we rely entirely on the algorithms of online retailers; I’m worried about a future in which we are so reliant on our Fitbits and Google Maps that we lose touch with our own bodies and environments; I’m worried about a future in which we can no longer write an essay (or even a thank-you note) because we have become so reliant on large-language models like ChatGPT. That’s a dehumanized existence. Catholics will need to rely on existing Catholic social teaching to address it, yes, but also address this challenge of dehumanization in new ways.
A third way that Catholic ideas and practices can address current cultural and technological challenges is one that I think has gone underappreciated in many circles — in particular, our fundamentally spiritual view of the world. The challenges posed by new technologies are not merely cultural and economic. They are also profoundly spiritual. So it won’t be enough for Catholics to respond to these challenges on the philosophical, economic and cultural planes, though we certainly need to do that too. More importantly, we’ll need to respond to these challenges spiritually. And Leo XIV, in choosing the name Leo, has already positioned himself to take up this kind of leadership. More on that in a minute.
— Camosy: Is it too dramatic to wonder whether Catholics and others who reject certain uses of these technologies will have to be prepared to stand out in a new way from the surrounding culture? And, if so, do you think we’re up to the task?
— Vukov: I don’t think it is too dramatic at all. Like the Holy Father, I’m a Midwesterner and raised to be optimistic. But I have become less so over the last few years, at least in the face of our cultural moment. 
Up until fairly recently, I regularly said that AI and other new technologies can be used for good, and that Catholics needn’t reject them wholesale. I still believe that — and indeed, this is what the church teaches — but I’ve grown pessimistic about what this might look like in practice. The temptations of modern technology — and its control over our lives — have simply become too strong and too pervasive. Yes, I think there are conditions in which Catholics can use AI and other new technologies. But these conditions are not as common as I used to think. And the stakes are too high to simply carry on as normal.
What this means is that as modern technologies are integrated more and more with our daily lives, Catholics may need to reject them. For example, we may need to refuse the integration of AI and other modern technologies in our workplaces, our entertainment choices, and our day-to-day lives. Increasingly, this will lead us to stand out from the wider culture, and sometimes in ways that will disadvantage us, or leave us looking outright bizarre.  
Are we up to this task? Not on our own. But here is where we come back to the point about the need to respond to our cultural moment on the spiritual plane. Let’s not forget that Pope Leo XIII gave us not only “Rerum Novarum,” but also multiple encyclicals on the most holy rosary. He also composed the prayer to St. Michael, still said after holy Mass in many areas. 
Leo XIII knew that in a moment of great social and cultural change, it isn’t enough for the church to defend herself and her teachings on the social and cultural level. She must also defend herself on a spiritual level, calling to her assistance all the forces at her disposal, most crucially, Our Lady, Terror of Demons, together with the angelic forces, led by St. Michael, to “be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.” 
Our current moment is a moment of great cultural and technological challenges, yes, but also a moment of great spiritual challenges, one in which the devil’s snares are pervasive and dangerous. 
I hope that our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, brings not only the vision of cultural clarity of Pope Leo XIII, but also the sense of spiritual urgency. Leo XIV’s first public prayer was to our most Blessed Mother. His first homily likewise ended with an appeal for the intercession of Mary. If we as Catholics are to face the current moment, we’ll need to muster all the spiritual forces at our disposal. In taking up the name Leo, and in what he has said so far, our new Holy Father has already signaled that this is the direction he’ll be leading us.
Charlie Camosy is professor of medical humanities at the Creighton School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, and moral theology fellow at St. Joseph Seminary in New York.The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-choice-of-name-puts-new-focus-on-challenges-posed-by-ai-says-expert/">Pope’s choice of name puts new focus on challenges posed by AI, says expert</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>‘I felt heard’: Catholic school teacher recalls life-changing talk with future pope</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/i-felt-heard-catholic-school-teacher-recalls-life-changing-talk-with-future-pope/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-felt-heard-catholic-school-teacher-recalls-life-changing-talk-with-future-pope</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gina Christian]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 18:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
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<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[New Jersey]]></category>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13069</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a conversation, the future pope impressed teacher Brendan Towel not with words, but something even more profound: how he listened.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/i-felt-heard-catholic-school-teacher-recalls-life-changing-talk-with-future-pope/">‘I felt heard’: Catholic school teacher recalls life-changing talk with future pope</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[(OSV News) — Days before he was elected, Pope Leo XIV (then Cardinal Robert F. Prevost) received a ringing endorsement from a Catholic school teacher in New Jersey — one the pope-to-be apparently read just hours before entering the conclave at which he would be chosen.
At the end of April, the Augustinian order’s Province of St. Thomas of Villanova published a reflection by theology instructor Brendan Towell on a life-changing conversation he’d had in 2010 with the Augustinian priest who would become pope.
In the summer of 2010, Towell — a theology teacher at St. Augustine Preparatory School, an independent, all-boys Catholic school in southern New Jersey operated by the Augustinians’ St. Thomas Province — was both a chaperone and pilgrim during the weeklong Augustinian Youth Encounter in Suffolk, England.
Amid the gathering’s prayer, liturgies and formation, he met and spoke with then-Father Prevost, who at the time was prior general of the worldwide Augustinian Order.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">First Chance for a ‘Real Conversation’</h2>
Despite a brief previous meeting, the youth encounter was Towell’s first chance to have what he called “a real conversation” with then-Father Prevost.
Towell told OSV News he’d sought out the priest amid a difficult time.
“I was discerning a vocation. I was struggling and I was probably all over the place when I was talking to him,” Towell recalled.
In his reflection — published online during the last week of April by the Augustinians’ St. Thomas Province, which operates St. Augustine Prep — Towell said the future pope impressed him not with words, but something even more profound.
“I don’t even remember all the things that he said or that I said,” Towell told OSV News. “I just remember how I felt, and I felt heard. I felt listened to.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Then-Father Prevost a Listener</h2>
More specifically, it was how then-Father Prevost listened that was so striking, Towell said in his reflection.
“Despite the busyness of the week, the weight of his responsibilities, and the symbolic importance of his presence at this historic gathering, Father Prevost gave me his time and his attention,” he wrote. “In a world that often rushes past the individual heart, he made mine feel seen.”
Towell also mused that the priest also “embodied with quiet confidence” a sense of unity, rooted in the Augustinian charism, that bonded the pilgrims from 18 countries.
The years after that 2010 Augustinian Youth Encounter — which saw Towell embrace marriage and family life, while the priest took on increasingly greater responsibilities in his order and in church hierarchy — only confirmed Towell’s intuition that he had spoken with a future pope.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Reflection Ahead of Conclave</h2>
In his reflection ahead of the conclave, Towell wrote, “Looking back, and watching his continued service in the Church, first as bishop in Peru, now as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, I can’t help but think: an Augustinian would make an excellent pope.”
And, he said, “it seems to me that more of the Augustinian charism is what our Church needs today. It’s a particular spirituality that is deeply communal, yet rooted in personal interiority. It seeks unity without uniformity. It loves the truth of God without sacrificing the love of one’s neighbor. It’s grounded in history while open to the Spirit’s new movements. Fr. (now-Cardinal) Robert Prevost exemplifies this.”
On May 6, Towell received confirmation from his friend Father Joseph Farrell, the Augustinian order’s American vicar general, that he had shared the article with then-Cardinal Prevost.
“And he (Father Farrell) said, ‘Cardinal Prevost read your reflection. He was honored and humbled and asked you to pray for him,'” Towell told OSV News.
Towell and his students watched when the new pope was announced after the conclave’s second day.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘I Jumped Out of My Chair’</h2>
“We were all really primed. … I waited, I held my breath and then all it took was the last name,” he said. “And I didn’t even hear what papal name he chose because I jumped out of my chair. The students were screaming. And then I had to quiet everybody down to hear, what was his name, what was his name?”
Towell admitted, “I actually teared up.”
Now, the Catholic education advocate and public speaker has another message to share with a word where — as St. Augustine himself famously observed — “our hearts are restless.
“So Pope Leo is going to teach us how to find that rest in the Lord,” said Towell.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/i-felt-heard-catholic-school-teacher-recalls-life-changing-talk-with-future-pope/">‘I felt heard’: Catholic school teacher recalls life-changing talk with future pope</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>As missionary in Peru, future pope always close to the poorest, say Augustinian sisters</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/as-missionary-in-peru-future-pope-always-close-to-the-poorest-say-augustinian-sisters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=as-missionary-in-peru-future-pope-always-close-to-the-poorest-say-augustinian-sisters</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rhina Guidos]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 17:52:59 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[South America]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Augustian sisters]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Peru]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[As a missionary priest in Peru, and later bishop, the future Pope Leo XIV's enthusiasm "impressed me," said Augustinian Sister Carmen Toledano. "He had that desire of being close to the poorest."
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/as-missionary-in-peru-future-pope-always-close-to-the-poorest-say-augustinian-sisters/">As missionary in Peru, future pope always close to the poorest, say Augustinian sisters</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ROME (OSV News) — Two days before the May 7 conclave began, Augustinian Sister Carmen Toledano texted her religious brother Monseñor Robert, whom others called Cardinal Robert F. Prevost.
She was surprised to hear his name in the news as a <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/papal-front-runner-interest-polyglot-us-cardinal-prevost-rises-italian" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">front-runner for pope</a> and told him the way she saw it, the church needed a person who knew how to break barriers — a unifier, a builder of communion, someone like him.
“His response was, ‘We’re in God’s hands,’ something like that,” recalled Sister Carmen hours after watching the cardinal become <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/first-american-elected-pope-cardinal-prevost-takes-name-leo-xiv/">Pope Leo XIV</a>.
For decades, Augustinian sisters in Peru like Sister Carmen had a front-row seat to a pope in the making. As an Augustinian priest, then-Father Prevost spent many years as a missionary in Peru.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Traveling With Future Pope in Peru</h2>
The sisters traveled with him and saw his work up close in places like Chuquibambilla, one of the most poverty-stricken parts of Peru. They saw the way he moved into action to secure oxygen tanks for the poor who contracted COVID-19 and took the consecrated host to a park in Chiclayo, <a href="https://www.diocesischiclayo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">where he was bishop</a>, to provide spiritual comfort during the pandemic on the feast of Corpus Christi.
“His enthusiasm impressed me,” Sister Carmen said. “He had that desire of being close to the poorest. He lived that experience as a gift, a responsibility. … I saw how comforting he was with the most humble. That was a sign.”
Seeing that same man introduced as Pope Leo XIV was a moment she’s still trying to wrap her head around.
“This has moved us enormously, not only because of what his mission means, but also because he is a brother we know well,” she said in a phone interview with Global Sisters Report.
Though she is based in Peru, where the new pope served as an Augustinian missionary, she was at the Monastery of the Conversion in Sotillo de la Adrada, Spain, with more than 40 sisters when white smoke came out of the chimney.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sisters’ Cries of Joy Over Pope’s Election</h2>
Sisters screamed and cried as they later watched the first Augustinian pope <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/watch-pope-leo-xiv-steps-out-on-balcony-of-st-peters/">walk out on the balcony</a> of St. Peter’s Basilica May 8, she said. They have many photos taken with him, have shared sorrows and joys, food, and a life in the search and service of God.
Augustinian Sister <a href="https://www.globalsistersreport.org/authors/marlene-quispe-tenorio" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Marlene Quispe</a> of the Monastery of the Incarnation in Lima, Peru, said that as their religious brother, the future pope walked the path toward what St. Augustine of Hippo, the order’s founder, wanted: unity.
“He was a man who listened a lot, who helped others discern, whose words were fundamental in creating communion,” she said. “And he was a true brother.”
As prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013, he helped bring out the best in people, particularly in sisters, helping them see what communion could generate, Sister Marlene said.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘He Listened a Lot’</h2>
“For us, Augustinian sisters, he listened a lot and told us not to be afraid of new things and encouraged us to allow the Spirit to guide us,” she recalled.
He is well-known and loved in the order’s federation, which has communities in Spain, Peru and the United States, Sister Marlene said. He has a reputation for being close to those in the order, a man who follows the will of God, she said.
His love for the church is unconditional, added Sister Carmen, and so is his great love for Peru, where he cemented a belief in being part of a mission of evangelization, to give himself over to serve wherever God calls. Sister Carmen said she remembered when he was <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/francis-replaces-ouellet-american-born-prevost-run-vatican-bishops-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops</a> in 2023 and he had to leave the country.
“In one of the last conversations I had with him, he said: ‘I feel like a missionary and I don’t see myself in Rome, but I have prayed and perhaps now what I have to be is a missionary in Rome. There is also a mission to be accomplished there,'” she recalled.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sisters’ Monastery in Spain</h2>
But even as he ascended, he remained close to the order and the sisters. He had plans to visit their monastery in Spain for the final celebrations of <a href="https://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/2024-02/dcm-002/new-augustinian-sisters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">its 25th anniversary</a> in September, Sister Carmen said, something that probably won’t happen now.
After his papal election, she said she sent him a simple text message, and wonders whether he’ll receive it and how or if they will communicate now that he’s pope.
“My message was simple because I don’t think I can talk to him. What did I say in that message? That I believe that the Holy Spirit, through the church, elected him for that mission and perhaps it is he, as a man of communion, the one the church needs today,” she said.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Caring for Him Now With Their Prayers</h2>
As his sisters from the Augustinian order, Sister Carmen said, they have a mission: to take care of him through their prayers and their love — from a distance.
“Because I imagine the loneliness he must now feel even surrounded by so many people,” she said, and also facing the enormous responsibility of being pope.
Sister <a href="https://www.globalsistersreport.org/authors/marlene-quispe-tenorio" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Marlene</a> said she will always remember the special time he spent with the sisters.
“He has shared meals with us, celebrated with us, accompanied us, encouraged us, and that is moving for us, because he has done so in his simplicity, with trust, with prayer,” she said.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">In Peru, He Was ‘Just Another Brother’</h2>
No matter how close his path kept getting to the top, he never let it go to his head, she added. When he became prefect in 2023, then-Cardinal Prevost told them that he was the same as before, “just another brother,” knocking on the door and asking if he could crash at their place when he was nearby, never asking for special treatment.
“He never had any type of pretension,” she said.
For Sister Carmen , she is still processing what has happened to her friend.
“And while my sisters in Spain were jumping for joy, I couldn’t react. I was sitting there and my reaction was to start crying, overwhelmed when I saw him. I mean, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “But something inside me these last few days was telling me, I don’t know what. I was overwhelmed when I thought about this possibility.”
This story was originally published as part of a Pope Leo XIV feature series by Global Sisters Report, a project of National Catholic Reporter. The Catholic Voice, and distributed through a partnership with OSV News. Rhina Guidos is the Latin America regional correspondent for Global Sisters Report.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/as-missionary-in-peru-future-pope-always-close-to-the-poorest-say-augustinian-sisters/">As missionary in Peru, future pope always close to the poorest, say Augustinian sisters</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Besides Leo XIII, 12 other popes have shared that name with new pontiff; 5 are saints</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/besides-leo-xiii-12-other-popes-have-shared-that-name-with-new-pontiff-5-are-saints/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=besides-leo-xiii-12-other-popes-have-shared-that-name-with-new-pontiff-5-are-saints</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael R. Heinlein]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 15:54:09 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIII]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13056</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Leo XIII, was also known as "the Rosary Pope" for his unmatched 11 encyclical letters on Marian devotion.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/besides-leo-xiii-12-other-popes-have-shared-that-name-with-new-pontiff-5-are-saints/">Besides Leo XIII, 12 other popes have shared that name with new pontiff; 5 are saints</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ROME (OSV News) — When Catholics heard on May 8 the new pope had chosen the name Leo XIV, the thoughts of many turned immediately to Leo XIII, the last pope to bear the name.
That most recent Leo, who served as pope from 1878 to 1903, is especially remembered for articulating the church’s teaching on social justice in a rapidly changing and ever industrialized society. He was also interested in promoting the political, theological and philosophical vision of St. Augustine, the namesake and inspiration of the new pope’s religious congregation, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Leo XIII, was also known as “the Rosary Pope” for his unmatched 11 encyclical letters on Marian devotion.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5 Previous Pope Leos Are Saints</h2>
Aside from Leo XIII, himself not canonized, there have been 12 others who share a name with the new pope, and five of those predecessors attained the heights of sanctity and have been proclaimed saints.
The first pope to bear the name, Pope Leo the Great (c. 400-461), truly had the character of a lion, from which the familiar papal name draws its meaning. A bold defender of the faith amid times of controversy and division, Leo is also remembered for successfully persuading Attila the Hun to spare Italy from an intended invasion of Italy. In doing so, Leo the Great is credited as one of the most influential patristic-era popes, who greatly increased the church’s influence and authority.
Leo the Great was a steady and sure leader amid many threats to the peace and stability of Roman culture at his time, including famine, disease, poverty and a rise in immigration.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Leo the Great’s Writings and Homilies</h2>
His homilies and writings are evidence of the teaching that helped the church overcome various Christological controversies in the fifth century, in the lead up to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. For his doctrinal clarity and ability to articulate unity, Leo the Great was declared a doctor of the church in 1754, one of only two popes so designated.
Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo the Great taught the church “to believe in Christ, true God and true Man, and to implement this faith every day in action for peace and love of neighbor.”
St. Leo II (611-683), who was elected Peter’s successor two centuries later, only reigned for just under nine months. Remembered for a love of music and a unique skill for preaching, Leo II’s brief pontificate is best remembered today through various hymns he composed for the Liturgy of the Hours.
St. Leo III, who reigned as pope for nearly two decades before his death in 816, crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor in 800. This honor stemmed from, no doubt, Leo’s gratitude for Charlemagne’s protection of him after an attack on his reputation and his life.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">St. Leo IV Restored Rome Churches</h2>
St. Leo IV, whose eight-year pontificate ended in 855, restored several churches in Rome after Muslim invaders plundered the sacred structures. The Italian Renaissance painter Raphael commemorated various scenes associated with Leo IV’s time in office. One fresco called “Battle of Ostia” recalls how Leo IV assembled various naval fleets to defend the ancient port at the mouth of Rome’s Tiber River. Another, “The Fire in the Borgo” depicts how Leo’s blessing extinguished a fire near the Vatican in 847.
The relics of popes Leo II, Leo III and Leo IV are enshrined in an altar in St. Peter’s Basilica, close to another altar that contains the relics of St. Leo the Great.
The most recently sainted Leo, St. Leo IX (1002-1054), brought reform to the church, reiterating mandatory clerical celibacy and defending the church’s belief in Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist amid scandal.
A native of modern-day France, Leo IX was allegedly born with red crosses marking his entire body, considered by some as a form of the stigmata. Divisions between Eastern and Western halves of the church intensified during his pontificate, with the Great Schism coming amid the interregnum just after his death. 
The relics of St. Leo IX are also separately enshrined in an altar in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Michael Heinlein writes for OSV News from Rome.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/besides-leo-xiii-12-other-popes-have-shared-that-name-with-new-pontiff-5-are-saints/">Besides Leo XIII, 12 other popes have shared that name with new pontiff; 5 are saints</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Full text: Pope Francis’ first Regina Caeli address</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/full-text-pope-francis-first-regina-caeli-address/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=full-text-pope-francis-first-regina-caeli-address</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[OSV News]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 15:49:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13058</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV on vocations,
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/full-text-pope-francis-first-regina-caeli-address/">Full text: Pope Francis’ first Regina Caeli address</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[(OSV News) — This is the official translation of the first Regina Caeli address given — one part before the prayer, and another following — by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square May 11, 2025. Pope Leo sang the Regina Caeli in Latin and also blessed the people.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Before the Regina Caeli</h2>
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
I consider it a gift from God that the first Sunday of my service as Bishop of Rome is Good Shepherd Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter. On this Sunday, we always hear proclaimed at Mass a passage from the tenth chapter from the Gospel of John, where Jesus reveals himself as the true Shepherd: who knows and loves his sheep and gives his life for them.
This Sunday also marks the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which we have celebrated for the last sixty-two years. Rome is also hosting the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment today. I greet all these pilgrims with affection and thank them because, with their music and performances, they enliven the feast of Christ the Good Shepherd: the One who guides the Church with his Holy Spirit.
In the Gospel, Jesus says that he knows his sheep and that they listen to his voice and follow him (cf. Jn 10:27). Indeed, as Pope Saint Gregory the Great teaches, people “respond to the love of those who love them” (Homily 14:3-6).
Today brothers and sisters, I therefore have the joy of praying with you and all the People of God for vocations, especially those to the priesthood and consecrated life. The Church has such a great need for them! It is important that young men and women on their vocational journey find acceptance, listening and encouragement in their communities, and that they can look up to credible models of generous dedication to God and to their brothers and sisters.
Let us take up the invitation that Pope Francis left us in his Message for today: the invitation to welcome and accompany young people. And let us ask our heavenly Father to assist us in living in service to one another, each according to his or her state of life, shepherds after his own heart (cf. Jer 3:15) capable of helping one another to walk in love and truth. And to young people, I say: “Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord!”
May the Virgin Mary, whose entire life was a response to the Lord’s call, always accompany us in following Jesus.
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">After the Regina Caeli</h2>
Dear brothers and sisters,
The immense tragedy of the Second World War ended eighty years ago, on 8 May, after having claimed sixty million victims. In today’s dramatic scenario of a piecemeal third world war, as Pope Francis stated many times, I too address the world’s leaders, repeating the ever-timely appeal: “Never again war!”.
I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. May everything possible be done to reach an authentic, just and lasting peace, as soon as possible. Let all the prisoners be freed and the children return to their own families.
I am deeply saddened by what is happening in the Gaza Strip: may there be an immediate ceasefire! Let humanitarian aid be provided to the stricken civil population, and let all the hostages be freed.
On the other hand, I have welcomed with satisfaction the announcement of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and I hope that through the upcoming negotiations, a lasting accord may be reached soon.
But how many other conflicts there are in the world! I entrust this heartfelt appeal to the Queen of Peace, so that she may present it to the Lord Jesus to obtain for us the miracle of peace.
And now I affectionately greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. I greet the members of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the group of doctors from Granada (Spain), the faithful of Malta, Panama, Dallas (Texas), Valladolid, Torrelodones (Madrid), Montesilvano, and Cinisi (Palermo).
I greet the participants in the “Let’s choose life” demonstration, the young people of the Fraternity of Blessed Mary Immaculate and Saint Francis of Assisi, of Reggio Emilia.
Today in Italy and in other countries we celebrate Mother’s Day. I send a fond greeting to all mothers, with a prayer for them, and for those who are already in Heaven.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!
Thank you all, a happy Sunday to everyone!The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/full-text-pope-francis-first-regina-caeli-address/">Full text: Pope Francis’ first Regina Caeli address</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>As poor rejoice, cardinal says pope’s electors ‘weren’t dealing with world,’ but ‘with the kingdom of God’</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/as-poor-rejoice-cardinal-says-popes-electors-werent-dealing-with-world-but-with-the-kingdom-of-god/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=as-poor-rejoice-cardinal-says-popes-electors-werent-dealing-with-world-but-with-the-kingdom-of-god</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Paulina Guzik]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 14:10:54 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Good Shepherd Sunday]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[papal almoner]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rome homeless shelter]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13044</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, papal almoner under Francis, said the 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel "turned out to be a wonderful instrument of the Holy Spirit."
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/as-poor-rejoice-cardinal-says-popes-electors-werent-dealing-with-world-but-with-the-kingdom-of-god/">As poor rejoice, cardinal says pope’s electors ‘weren’t dealing with world,’ but ‘with the kingdom of God’</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ROME (OSV News) — The joy was palpable in <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/he-gave-a-face-to-the-faceless-francis-is-remembered-as-the-pope-of-the-poor/">Palazzo Migliori</a>, the Roman palace turned homeless shelter, right next to Bernini Colonnade, on May 11, the first Sunday after the election of Pope Leo XIV.
The needy of the Eternal City were glad to have their cardinal back from conclave, <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/romes-needy-bid-farewell-to-pope-who-lifted-them-up-from-misery/">Cardinal Konrad Krajewski</a>, sharing news about the new pontiff — who was “chosen by the Holy Spirit,” the prelate said.
“I had a very good impression of the pope,” said Gennaro, a needy man who spent the night in the Palazzo and after Mass was ready to get coffee and breakfast. 
After extensive renovation carried out under the supervision of Cardinal Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity under Pope Francis, Palazzo Migliori — with historical frescoes left intact on the walls — was opened in November 2019 as a shelter for the homeless.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘He Is Very Welcoming’</h2>
“He comes from America, a country that had not yet had its pope,” Gennaro said of the American-Peruvian pontiff, but precisely because Pope Leo is from the United States — “a country of immigrants, a country of British, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Polish, Chinese roots — so he is very welcoming.”
“And to us Italians — he spoke in very good Italian!” Gennaro, who only gave his first name, told OSV News. 
<a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-augustinian-brothers-greet-election-with-joyful-disbelief-deep-spiritual-affirmation/">Father Joseph Farrell</a>, the American vicar general of <a href="https://www.augustinianorder.org/who-we-are-1" title="">the Order of St. Augustine</a>, who delivered a homily in the chapel of the Palazzo, said that for his part, pronouncing “quattordici” — “fourteen” in Italian — for Leo XIV was quite a task for him. 
“Much easier for me to just say ‘fourteen’!” he said, pronouncing the number in English.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Good Shepherd ‘Listens to His Flock’</h2>
On what was Good Shepherd Sunday, Father Farrell, turning to Cardinal Krajewski, told the poor gathered in the chapel: “Our friend the cardinal told us last week: ‘We hope that we come soon on Sunday with a new pope!” adding that “the Good Shepherd listens to the voice of the flock.”
Cardinal Krajewski, for more than a decade the papal right hand for charity, told OSV News that during the conclave, once the cardinals were locked in the Sistine Chapel, he kept praying with the words of <a href="https://thomasmertonsociety.org/Journal/13/13-2Poks-Twardowski.pdf" title="">Father Jan Twardowski, </a>a famed — and humorous — Polish priest-poet: “‘Duchu Święty, ni z tego, ni z owego tchnij na nas na całego!’ — ‘Holy Spirit, out of this, out of that, breathe on us all the way!’ And he breathed, and he breathed,” the cardinal admitted.
He said the 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel “turned out to be a wonderful instrument of the Holy Spirit.”
He said the fact that “no one expected such an election” — and that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was “not on the media lists” — “is the confirmation that the Holy Spirit chooses” only “with the participation of the cardinals.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cardinals Joyful After Conclave</h2>
“The pope was elected very quickly” and “the joy of the cardinals, once the conclave was over,” was visible, the Polish prelate told OSV News.
“When everyone came up to the Holy Father and gave the ‘omagium’ — the pledge of reverence and obedience — you could see the beaming faces of all the cardinals.”
He said: “You should know that the cardinals are from all over the world, and for the most part we didn’t know each other, because it’s hard to know someone in a few days from one of his speeches or from a photo or a resume.”
The Holy Spirit, he said, works his own way, and doesn’t need the external world to tell the cardinals who should be the pope. “And that’s why today we have another pope from the periphery of the world, but at the same time from the center of the world,” he said, “because he worked in Peru, but is an American. The joy afterwards of the people in St. Peter’s Square confirmed what the Holy Spirit had accomplished in the Sistine Chapel.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Election Was Filled With ‘Unity’</h2>
Cardinal Krajewski told OSV News that the election was filled with “unity,” and the speed of the election was the result. 
“I can’t talk about the number of papal votes, but the joy of the cardinals coming out of the chapel was as great as the people who saw him for the first time on the balcony.”
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13049" srcset="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-585x390.jpg 585w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508T1415-POPE-ELECTED-PREVOST-1796671-263x175.jpg 263w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, waves to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican after his election as pope May 8, 2025. The new pope was born in Chicago. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)</figcaption></figure>
“There is no influence of public opinion or all kinds of parties on what happens in the Sistine Chapel. There really is the Holy Spirit who is guiding the cardinals,” he continued. “We were completely separated from the world. We didn’t know if the smoke had already appeared. We didn’t hear the bells. … We didn’t have access to newspapers, to radio, to television. There was prayer, staying together and being in the Sistine Chapel. And that’s when the Holy Spirit could work, because we weren’t dealing with the world, we were dealing with the kingdom of God.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pope ‘Like a Newly Born Baby’</h2>
Fabrizio Salvati, who delivered the reading during Mass in the Palazzo, said the new pope is “like a newly born baby.” Speaking to OSV News in front of the Palazzo in fluent English, the guitarist by training said of Pope Leo: “I believe he’s going to be a great pope, one of the greatest ever.”
He said his own story was “nothing special.” “I began to lose my job. My marriage didn’t work,” he explained, but that was “very lucky, very, very lucky,” because “I met somebody who could and wanted to help.” That somebody was a Sant’Egidio volunteer who eventually led him to Palazzo Migliori. Later he became an <a href="https://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/2025-04/ods-031/fabrizio.html">editor at L’Osservatore di Strada</a> — a branch of the famed L’Osservatore Romano.
Meeting the Sant’Egidio female volunteer and writing for the magazine, “these are two most important things that changed my life,” Salvati told OSV News. They “allowed me to start over. Both were established by (Pope) Francis. This is why I said the other day to the BBC: I owe everything to him.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘Holy Spirit Is not Lazy’</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13053" srcset="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-1170x1560.jpg 1170w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11-585x780.jpg 585w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fabrizio11.jpg 1440w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fabrizio Salvati, a needy man from Rome, is pictured in front of Palazzo Migliori, a palace turned homeless shelter where the needy can spend the night and get a warm meal. He told OSV News May 11, 2025, that the new pope is “like a newly born baby. I believe he’s going to be a great pope, one of the greatest ever.” (OSV News photo/Paulina Guzik)</figcaption></figure>
With the election of the new pope, “Cardinal Krajewski explained to me how the Holy Spirit is not lazy,” Salvati told OSV News. 
He said the Augustinians, who are volunteers and helpers in Palazzo Migliori, are “touching the sky” — equivalent to “over the moon” — with the election of their own brother.
“I don’t think he will quit anything about the poor. He will carry on. I’m sure he will carry on.”
Asked whether Pope Leo will continue Pope Francis’ charity work — with Cardinal Krajewski as his “Robin Hood” — the cardinal answered: “The answer to this is the biography of the current pope, who spent so many years in Peru and in the poor districts of his diocese, where he worked and where everyone remembers him. He was a shepherd, one who was not indifferent to the plight of the poor, and now he can bring this to the whole world.”
Paulina Guzik is international editor for OSV News. Follow her @Guzik_Paulina.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/as-poor-rejoice-cardinal-says-popes-electors-werent-dealing-with-world-but-with-the-kingdom-of-god/">As poor rejoice, cardinal says pope’s electors ‘weren’t dealing with world,’ but ‘with the kingdom of God’</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-prays-for-vocations-for-peace-and-for-mothers-on-mothers-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pope-leo-prays-for-vocations-for-peace-and-for-mothers-on-mothers-day</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cindy Wooden]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 11:16:49 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13039</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-prays-for-vocations-for-peace-and-for-mothers-on-mothers-day/">Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With a huge and festive crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV led his first Sunday recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer and urged all Catholics to pray for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.
Before the pope appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica May 11, the crowd was entertained by dozens of marching bands and folkloristic dance troupes who had marched into the square after attending an outdoor Mass for the Jubilee of Bands and Popular Entertainment.
Pope Leo also noted that it was Mother’s Day in Italy, the United States and elsewhere. “I send a special greeting to all mothers with a prayer for them and for those who are already in heaven,” he said. “Happy holiday to all moms!”
Italian officials estimated 100,000 people were in St. Peter’s Square or on the surrounding streets to join the new pope for the midday prayer.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13041" srcset="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-585x390.jpg 585w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T110805Z_2093684945_RC2KFEAMAEQL_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-263x175.jpg 263w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Faithful gather to attend a Regina Caeli prayer, led by Pope Leo XIV from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, May 11, 2025. (OSV News photo/Alkis Konstantinidis, Reuters) </figcaption></figure>
In his main address, Pope Leo said it was a “gift” to lead the crowd for the first time on the Sunday when the church proclaims a passage from John 10 “where Jesus reveals himself as the true Shepherd, who knows and loves his sheep and gives his life for them.”
It also is the day the Catholic Church offers special prayers for vocations, especially to the priesthood and religious life.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">‘Do not be afraid!’</h2>
“It is important that young men and women on their vocational journey find acceptance, listening and encouragement in their communities, and that they can look up to credible models of generous dedication to God and to their brothers and sisters,” the pope said.
Noting that Pope Francis had released a message in March in preparation for the day of prayer, Pope Leo told the crowd, “Let us take up the invitation that Pope Francis left us in his message for today: the invitation to welcome and accompany young people.”
“And let us ask our heavenly Father to assist us in living in service to one another, each according to his or her state of life, shepherds after his own heart, capable of helping one another to walk in love and truth,” the new pope said.
Setting aside his prepared text, he told young people in the square, “Do not be afraid! Welcome the call of the church and of Christ the Lord.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Praying for peace</h2>
After reciting the “Regina Coeli,” he mentioned how the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe was celebrated May 8, the day of his election.
While that is reason to celebrate, he said, “‘the Third World War is being fought piecemeal,’ as Pope Francis often said. I, too, appeal to the leaders of the world, repeating this ever-relevant plea: Never again war!”
Pope Leo prayed for the people of Ukraine, saying, “May everything possible be done to achieve as soon as possible an authentic, just and lasting peace. May all prisoners be freed, and may the children return to their families.” Ukraine says thousands of children have been forcibly taken to Russia during the war.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13042" srcset="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-2048x1368.jpg 2048w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1920x1282.jpg 1920w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-1170x781.jpg 1170w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-585x391.jpg 585w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-05-11T105352Z_2121858339_RC2LFEA2JBL2_RTRMADP_3_POPE-LEO-263x175.jpg 263w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pope Leo XIV leads a Regina Caeli prayer from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, May 11, 2025. (OSV News photo/Eloisa Lopez, Reuters)</figcaption></figure>
The pope also told the crowd, “I am deeply saddened by what is happening in the Gaza Strip. Let the fighting cease immediately. Humanitarian aid must be given to the exhausted civilian population, and all hostages must be released.”
He praised India and Pakistan for reaching a ceasefire agreement, but said, “But how many other conflicts are there in the world?”
Pope Leo entrusted his “heartfelt appeal” for peace to Mary, “Queen of Peace, that she may present it to the Lord Jesus to obtain for us the miracle of peace.”
Earlier in the day, Pope Leo had celebrated Mass at an altar near the tomb of St. Peter in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica. Father Alejandro Moral Anton, the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, to which the pope belonged, was the principal celebrant.
Afterward, the Vatican press office said, he stopped to pray at the tombs of popes who are buried in the grotto.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-13040" srcset="https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-585x390.jpg 585w, https://www.osvnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250511T0630-POPE-REGINA-COELI-1797032-263x175.jpg 263w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass May 11, 2025, at the altar near the tomb of St. Peter’s in the grotto of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Father Alejandro Moral Anton, prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, was the principal concelebrant. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)</figcaption></figure>The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-prays-for-vocations-for-peace-and-for-mothers-on-mothers-day/">Pope Leo prays for vocations, for peace and for mothers on Mother’s Day</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>What then-Cardinal Prevost told an Illinois parish about his life, Pope Francis, synodality and more</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/what-then-cardinal-prevost-told-an-illinois-parish-about-his-life-pope-francis-synodality-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-then-cardinal-prevost-told-an-illinois-parish-about-his-life-pope-francis-synodality-and-more</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lauretta Brown]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 May 2025 00:38:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[U.S. Church]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Francis]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13036</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(OSV News) — Parishioners of St. Jude Parish in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Illinois, may have had a moment of shocked recognition as the first American pope stepped out…
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/what-then-cardinal-prevost-told-an-illinois-parish-about-his-life-pope-francis-synodality-and-more/">What then-Cardinal Prevost told an Illinois parish about his life, Pope Francis, synodality and more</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[(OSV News) — Parishioners of St. Jude Parish in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox, Illinois, may have had a moment of shocked recognition as the first American pope stepped out on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square May 8. 
Pope Leo XIV, then-Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, had just visited their Augustinian parish for “An Evening of Reflection” and Mass in August. During the question-and-answer session, he discussed his history with Pope Francis, a look behind the scenes of his job in Rome, and his thoughts on synodality, the media and more. 
Below are some key quotes from that discussion and his homily. They can be viewed in their entirety <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U3yBFdt4QM" title="">here</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On his relationship with Pope Francis</h2>
“I first met Pope Francis when I was prior general and he was an archbishop of Buenos Aires. We had met on several occasions there for different reasons; there were a lot of Augustinians in Argentina.”
“On one of the occasions, the archbishop of Buenos Aires was interested in a specific Augustinian doing a specific work and I, as prior general, said, ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else,’ and so I transferred him somewhere else and I was told that he wasn’t happy about that and I said to myself when he became pope, I said, ‘He probably won’t remember me,’ I thought naively, and secondly he’ll never appoint me bishop.”
“He was elected on March 13, 2013, that was my last year as prior general and sort of as a whim — this has never happened in the history of the order — I said to the General Council, let’s write a letter to Pope Francis and see if he will come and celebrate the opening Eucharist for the chapter of the Augustinian order. We’ve been an order since 1244, and the pope has always sent delegates, the pope has never presided. So I write this letter to him, and he said yes and then it was like ‘Oh my God now what do we do? The pope is coming.’ So we organized the opening celebration in St. Augustine’s in Rome.”
“He and I went off to talk a little bit and not only did he remember me, but it’s like (he remembered) footnotes … there was another incident where I intervened sort of in his favor in one of the dicasteries in Rome and he said to me, ‘I’ll never forget what you did,’ and I said, ‘That’s alright Holy Father, you can forget it if you like,’ but he didn’t forget obviously so from that eventually … he named me a bishop in Peru. … Then nine years later he brought me to Rome, so I have known Francis for a long time.”
“He has a profound commitment to justice, charity and mercy and his pastoral sense — which sometimes confuses some people — is so acute that he really tries to live in a profound way what the Gospel says.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pope Francis’ message of mercy</h2>
Then-Cardinal Prevost recalled a time that he and Pope Francis were “dealing with the unfortunate situation of a case of sexual abuse” and “were just sharing some thoughts on that and he said, ‘Wait here, I want to show you something.’ He went to his room and he brought back a picture of a carving … it was from a Gothic cathedral in France … of Judas after he had taken his own life and Jesus next to him holding the body of Judas in his arms.”
Regarding this image, he said, Pope Francis pondered, “‘Is it possible to think that God’s mercy can indeed reach out to the worst of sinners?’ And that message in Francis’ life … some people get terribly upset (by it). They say, ‘Well, he should speak stronger on this, and he should condemn that.’ Pope Francis says, ‘Everybody, there’s a lot of people who are condemning things already. We don’t need that. We need people, and especially ministers, who can live and express and offer to others the mercy and forgiveness and healing of God.'”
“That’s a big part of who Francis is: Justice in terms of seeking true justice for all people, especially for the downtrodden — reaching out to help the poor and the suffering and the immigrants and those who most need the mercy of God, who most need the church, perhaps — that’s who Francis is. And all the other stuff has to be interpreted and placed in that context because he really believes deeply, and he really struggles to find the best way to express that message of the Gospel.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On Pope Francis ‘rocking the boat’</h2>
“Francis has a very keen mind and a very keen sense of the vision of where he wants to move the church. And he recognizes that any large institution can become, just as any person, … very set in our ways. ‘We always did it that way. We don’t want to change. We’ve been doing it like this forever.’ And one of the risks of that attitude, which is comfortable for us, it’s like we create a safety zone or security zone for ourselves, and that’s wonderful — but one of the risks of that is we miss the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
“There’s so many things in terms of how we understand building up church community that could be new, and so Francis is not afraid to rock the boat a bit, to shake things up and when he does that there are people who are uncomfortable.”
“The Holy Spirit was part in some way, shape or form (of Francis’ election). I wasn’t there, but I truly believe that Pope Francis was elected by that College of Cardinals in 2013 because the church at this time needs Francis. At a different time, we needed Pope Benedict, and at a different time, we needed St. John Paul II, et cetera, et cetera.”
“But the Holy Spirit will never abandon the church. And if we can live placing our trust in that, then we might be shaken up a bit. We might need to ask questions, and there’s a lot of people we can ask questions to. But we continue to walk, placing our trust and our confidence in the Lord, whose Spirit is indeed with us.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On being Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops</h2>
“He (Pope Francis) called me and specifically because he didn’t want someone from the Roman Curia to take on this role. He wanted a missionary. He wanted someone from outside, he wanted someone who would come in with a different perspective and assist him in a very specific ministry.”
“I began this job and am still learning but it’s certainly fascinating as an education. It’s kind of like formation in international affairs of the church as well as sometimes politics.”
“As you’re doing the study of different candidates for any position, you also have to consider the social dimension, obviously, the ecclesial dimension. What is the economic situation of the country? What are these men like? Who will bring the needed gifts to a given diocese? And obviously, not every diocese is the same, so you may have somebody who’s a true saint but to send them to this diocese he may not be a good fit.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On the media</h2>
“Media sites, nowadays, we’re all familiar with a lot of them. Some of them are very good, and some of them are not. One of the difficulties that’s out there is the ordinary person who comes along and starts reading doesn’t know which one you can trust. That’s a big problem.”  
“You’ve got to learn to read with a very critical eye or mind, because it’s very easy to distort the truth or to mix the truth with absolute falsehood and to look for ways to do harm.” 
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On the Synod on Synodality</h2>
“It really goes back to the early centuries of the church. Pope Francis has, along with others, been looking for a way to help people understand that the church is not Father up here on Sunday with a lot of spectators, but that rather all of us in different ways, and each one according to his or her vocation and ministry and calling, vocation, service — we’re all called to be a part of this church.” 
“It does not take away at all the authority, if you will, or the ministry of those who are called to specific services in the church, such as a bishop or a priest — but it does call the best gifts out of each and every one to bring them together.” 
“There are some places in the church where that’s already been going on, but there’s other places — I still am surprised at this every time I hear it — but where a priest calls the chancery, and he says, ‘I’d like to have an appointment with the bishop,’ and they say, ‘Well you can come in three months,’ and there’s no contact at all (with) the bishop. The people will see the bishop once in a blue moon, maybe at confirmations, but that’s usually the auxiliary.”
“There’s great separation and great hierarchical structure where people feel like well, what do we count for here and how much actual participation do we have here? And so the concept of the synod is really to try and promote a sense of ‘this is all of us together,’ not just one man’s job or the pastor’s job.”
“As we look for ways of being church together, it takes time, the church doesn’t change overnight, but there’s magnificent hope in this experience of bringing people together from around the world, literally, and saying, ‘We want to be a part of what the church is and what the mission of the church is in the world today.'”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On the Jubilee of Hope</h2>
“We can live jubilee right here, and we can live hope when in our hearts we recognize that everything does not have to be doom and gloom and the pessimism which sometimes comes over us; it can truly color our vision.”
“Let’s go back to listening to the word of God. Let’s go back to understanding what it means to be authentic community, communion, parish community, where we care about one another, and we recognize as the Lord promised, ‘Where two or three (are) gathered in my name, there I am in, their midst,’ and we say, ‘We have a message, as believing Catholics have a magnificent message.'”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On the National Eucharistic Congress</h2>
“I was not there, I watched it on the internet, but it was a magnificent experience.”
“There are dynamic, life-giving experiences that do fill us with hope, and we have to learn to share that message with others — it depends on all of us.” 
“There’s a lot of good things going on, a lot of hope-filled things that each and every one of us can take part in.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On the importance of beautiful liturgy</h2>
“We all need to see Christ among us and Christ transfigured. We all need that special boost that helps us in our faith. … I remember one time for me, it was actually in a celebration, maybe one of the first ones for Christmas at St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Paul II celebrating, it was in (the) days when he was still in relatively good health and the magnificence both artistically and musically … the experience of celebrating our faith together can truly be, liturgy needs to be beautiful so that will help us, strengthen us in our faith.”
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On immigration</h2>
“He (Pope Francis) went to this little community, an island in southern Italy, the town of Lampedusa where all these immigrants continue to come. It’s a huge problem and it’s a problem worldwide, not only in this country. There’s got to be a way both to solve the problem but also to treat people with respect.” 
“Every one of us whether we were born in the United States of America or on the North Pole, we are all given the gift of being created in the image and likeness of God and the day we forget that is the day we forget who we are. We forget who Christ has called us to be.”
Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @LaurettaBrown6.The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/what-then-cardinal-prevost-told-an-illinois-parish-about-his-life-pope-francis-synodality-and-more/">What then-Cardinal Prevost told an Illinois parish about his life, Pope Francis, synodality and more</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Who are the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV’s order?</title>
<link>https://www.osvnews.com/who-are-the-augustinians-pope-leo-xivs-order/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=who-are-the-augustinians-pope-leo-xivs-order</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Maria Wiering]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2025 22:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[U.S. Church]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vatican]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Order of St. Augustine]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Papal Transition]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Pope Leo XIV]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.osvnews.com/?p=13030</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In his first greeting as pope May 8, Leo XIV described himself as a "son of St. Augustine."
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/who-are-the-augustinians-pope-leo-xivs-order/">Who are the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV’s order?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[(OSV News) — In Pope Leo XIV’s first greeting after being introduced as pope May 8, he described himself as a “<a href="https://www.osvnews.com/full-text-of-urbi-at-orbi-blessing-pope-leo-xiv/">son of St. Augustine</a>.”
The <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/first-american-pope-white-sox-fan-villanova-grad-peru-missionary-vatican-leader/">first American pope</a> has spoken in the past with affection about the fifth-century convert, bishop and intellectual powerhouse considered the father of his religious order, the <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-augustinian-brothers-greet-election-with-joyful-disbelief-deep-spiritual-affirmation/">Order of St. Augustine</a>. Although their order was founded more than 800 years after Augustine’s death, the Augustinians draw on his wisdom and holiness to shape their community.
In the early 13th century, loosely organized communities of hermits living in Italy’s Tuscany region sought direction from Pope Innocent IV — known to be an excellent canonist, or church law scholar — to help them adopt a common rule of life to live with greater uniformity.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Inspired in Part by Other New Orders</h2>
They were inspired, in part, by the recent formation of other new religious orders, including the Franciscans in 1209 and the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, in 1216. Both were mendicant orders, which meant they relied on begging and working for their sustenance, and unlike the long-established Benedictines and other monks, they did not vow stability, meaning they were not bound to a single monastery for life.
Pope Innocent advised the Tuscan hermits to organize under the rule of St. Augustine, a guide for religious life the saint had developed around the year 400. It covered the breadth of religious life, including purpose and basis of common life, prayer,  moderation and self-denial, safeguarding chastity and fraternal correction, and governance and obedience.
Written initially as a letter for a community of religious women in Hippo, the diocese in modern-day Algeria that St. Augustine led, the rule made its way to Europe and influenced St. Benedict, who formed the Benedictines in Italy in 529.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mendicant Model of Religious Life</h2>
The rule of St. Augustine had also informed the Dominicans, but when the Tuscan hermits adopted the rule, they also took the name and spiritual fatherhood of its author. Over time, they transitioned from an eremitical way of life to the mendicant model expressed by other medieval orders, which is why they are known as “friars.” Women’s religious communities also joined the Augustinians, producing saints including St. Clare of Montefalco and St. Rita of Cascia. Male Augustinian saints include St. John of Sahagún, an early Augustinian from Spain, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine, who was the first Augustinian to be canonized after the order’s “grand union” in 1256.
Today the Order of St. Augustine is an international religious community that includes more than 2,800 members in nearly 50 countries, including the United States, where they are organized into three provinces, or geographical areas. Lay men and women also affiliate themselves with the Augustinians and the order’s spirituality and support the order’s work.
Augustinians in the U.S. have a strong reputation for education and founded Villanova University near Philadelphia and Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, and high schools in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ontario and Pennsylvania. They also care for several parishes and have missions in Japan and Peru.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">They’re ‘Active Contemplatives’</h2>
Contemporary Augustinians describe themselves as “active contemplatives” with varied ministries who are “called to restlessness” — a nod to St. Augustine’s famous description of himself in his influential autobiography, “Confessions”: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
The U.S. Augustinians’ vocations website describes this restlessness as “a divine gift” that they “believe … can direct us to God.”
Despite the order’s 800-year history — and its Italian origins — Pope Leo XIV is the <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/10-things-to-know-about-pope-leo-xiv/">first Augustinian</a> to be named a pope.
A <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/chicago-abuzz-with-unbelievable-joy-the-first-american-pope-is-a-hometown-son/">Chicago native</a>, Pope Leo attended an Augustinian high school seminary, since closed, near Holland, Michigan, and then<a href="https://www.osvnews.com/us-catholics-stunned-overjoyed-at-history-making-american-pope-leo-xiv/"> Villanova University</a>, where he majored in math, before <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-xiv-a-biographical-timeline/">entering the Augustinian novitiate</a> in St. Louis in 1977. He professed first vows in 1978 and final vows in 1981. He was ordained a priest the following year.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Missionary Work in Peru</h2>
His ministries as a young priest included missionary work in Peru and seminary formation before he became provincial of his order’s Chicago-based Midwest province, Our Mother of Good Counsel, and then his order’s worldwide leader, a role he held for two, six-year terms.
<a href="https://www.osvnews.com/popes-augustinian-brothers-greet-election-with-joyful-disbelief-deep-spiritual-affirmation/">Augustinians worldwide</a> met the news of an Augustianian bishop with joy. The head of the Midwestern Augustinian province, Prior Provincial Father Anthony B. Pizzo, said May 8 that the community <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/midwest-augustinians-celebrate-in-pope-leo-xiv-a-brother-rooted-in-the-spirit-of-st-augustine/">celebrated</a> the news of Pope Leo’s election and it was “honored that he is one of our own, a brother formed in the restless heart of the Augustinian Order.”
“We see him as a bridge-builder, rooted in the spirit of St. Augustine, walking forward with the whole Church as a companion on the journey,” he said.
After identifying himself as an Augustinian on St. Peter’s loggia May 8, Pope Leo<a href="https://www.osvnews.com/full-text-of-urbi-at-orbi-blessing-pope-leo-xiv/"> quoted St. Augustine:</a> “For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christian.” “In this sense we can all walk together toward that homeland that God has prepared,” he said.
Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.
The post <a href="https://www.osvnews.com/who-are-the-augustinians-pope-leo-xivs-order/">Who are the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV’s order?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.osvnews.com">OSV News</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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