[OPINION] Leo XIV, an Augustinian pope for a fragmented world

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'Might the life and works of Saint Augustine provide clues about the background and character and gifts of Pope Leo XIV?'

“Bad trip! I lost P5,000 in the betting” was the unexpected response by a former student to the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8. When he appeared on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost donned the traditional red mozzetta, prompting an agnostic Belgian friend to say: “I had hoped that the new pope would appear in a simple white robe and that he would have chosen the name Franciscus II.”

Arj Aguirre, a political science graduate student in the US, considered the Pope as “God’s gift to mankind in this age of vitriolic politics, hyper materialism, excessive noise, and fake news.” Miguel Hormilla, a Filipino diplomat who had served in Latin America, put forward his personal opinion: “Pope Leo’s pastoral and missionary experience are a big plus. That he has spent a third of his life in Latin America is also good, because he’ll be able to provide some perspective on the problems facing the church there. The Church is hemorrhaging members in Latin America, due to secularism and the challenge of new religious movements like Pentecostalism.”

These are just some of the reactions not often mentioned in mainstream media regarding the 267th Successor of Peter, the name given to the leader of the Catholic Church. Many have speculated why he was chosen by the cardinals, who have expressed their own bewilderment towards the “movement of the Holy Spirit” in the conclave.

Those who bet on Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, dubbed the Asian Francis, are anxious to know whether Leo XIV will continue the reforms of his predecessor. While we ought to allow the new Pope to grow into the office, we shamelessly offer our own speculations. Might the life and works of Saint Augustine provide clues about the background and character and gifts of Pope Leo XIV?

His election marks not just a turn away from Eurocentrism but a turn toward religious communities. Pope Leo is an Augustinian. On the balcony, he said: “I am a son of Augustine, an Augustinian,” adding, “For you I am a bishop; with you, I am a Christian.” In Saint Augustine’s full quote, the episcopacy is described as a duty, and being a Christian as a gift — an important lens for understanding how this new pope sees his authority.

Praising God for his gifts characterizes the life of Saint Augustine, a 5th-century bishop famous for his work, The Confessions. Like Augustine, Pope Leo, who studied mathematics and canon law, has a prodigious intellect. As an Augustinian, his life is marked not only by the thought of the bishop of Hippo but also by the mendicant order of friars founded in 1244.

Although not founded by Saint Augustine himself, they abide by the Rule of Saint Augustine, available for download from the order’s website. If one wants an inside knowledge to the background and character of the Pope, I staunchly suggest a serious study of this text.

The first rule states: “Before all else, dear brothers, love God and then your neighbor, because these are the chief commandments given to us.” The Rule is clear that love of God leads to love of neighbor.

Following the call to live in harmony with others, the Augustinian is “intent upon God in oneness of mind and heart.”

The fourth rule is germane to our neoliberal times: “Call nothing your own, but let everything be yours in common. Food and clothing shall be distributed to each of you by your superior, not equally to all, for all do not enjoy equal health, but rather according to each one’s need.” This is a rule that is derived from Acts 4: 32, 35, where it is said the Apostles had all things in common.

When Saint Augustine returned to his hometown of Thagaste (present day Algeria, North Africa), he sold his estate and gave the earnings to the poor, leaving only what was necessary to sustain a monastery. The turn to the religious orders means that the Church does not only wish to listen to everyone, as she should, but also to make a bold movement to responding to the social questions of our day.

The name “Leo” is intentional. Leo XIII authored the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.

“In our own day, the church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” Pope Leo said in his address to the cardinals on May 10. The Augustinian order has an accredited nongovernmental organization (NGO) presence at the United Nations, known as Augustinians International.

Moreover, Saint Augustine lived in community as a layperson before being ordained by acclamation.

Today, the Augustinian family includes lay communities inspired by the same values: friendship, a thirst for meaning, and love for the poor. If synodality is truly the Church’s way forward, then empowering the laity in mission and governance is essential. – Rappler.com

Jovino G. Miroy teaches medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion at the Ateneo de Manila University. He holds a PhD from Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven in Belgium, with a specialization in medieval philosophy, and is a member of the American Cusanus Society. He is the producer of the podcast titled “Thomas Unveiled,” commemorating the Double Jubilee of Thomas Aquinas.