Pope Leo XIV’s episcopal motto and coat of arms reflect his Augustinian roots, devotion to St. Augustine, and commitment to unity, peace, and Gospel-centered mission in the Church.
Pope Leo XIV’s episcopal motto and coat of arms reflect his Augustinian roots, devotion to St. Augustine, and commitment to unity, peace, and Gospel-centered mission in the Church.
For Peruvian-Americans in the Diocese of Brooklyn, the selection of Cardinal Robert Prevost as pope on May 9 was a double delight, given that the new pontiff is an American who served for more than 20 years in Peru.
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.
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.
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 front-runner for pope
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian pope, draws on the wisdom and spirituality of St. Augustine as he begins his papacy — a legacy shaped by centuries of contemplative action, education, and global ministry.
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.
Pope Leo XIV asked journalists to be peacemakers by shunning prejudice and anger in their reporting, and he called for the release of journalists imprisoned for their work.
Less than 48 hours after being elected, Pope Leo XIV got in the front seat of a minivan and traveled 40 miles southeast from the Vatican to pray at a Marian shrine cared for by his Augustinian confreres.
On the second day of the conclave, after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Americans in Rome reacted with shock, delight and questions at the realization that the new pope – Pope Leo XIV – was a fellow American.