How St. Augustine Inspires Pope Leo XIV’s Leadership | EWTN News In Depth

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:02]My favorite memories are walking into the chapel. He was always in chapel before any of us, but walking into the chapel and seeing him praying.

[00:00:10]Memories of Father Robert Prevost during his years of service in Rome. That is Father Joseph Farrell, the prior general or global leader of the Order of Saint Augustine, a position Pope Leo the 14th himself held for 12 years. The first Augustinian to become Pope Leo's formation as an Augustinian is at the heart of his papacy. In fact, his papal coat of arms reflects Augustinian imagery. The religious order emphasizes community life, poverty, obedience, and an inner search for God. Prevost's Augustinian education and training began early in life. Before eventually earning a master's degree in divinity and a doctorate in canon law, a young Prevost spent 9th through 12th grades boarding at Saint Augustine Seminary High School in Michigan, where his fellow students fondly remember him as the tutor who would help others with their studies. He then attended Villanova University in Philadelphia, the most prominent of only two Augustinian universities in the United States. His devotion to the Augustinians continues today. In a special homecoming, Pope Leo had the chance to visit and pray at the birthplace of his order during his trip to Algeria last month. The Holy Father stopped at the remains of the city of Hippo, where Saint Augustine lived and served as bishop for more than 30 years.

[00:01:27]When speaking about the quick visit on the papal plane, he said it was a true blessing to return to the roots of the order and was grateful divine providence brought him back.

[00:01:38]EWTN News recently visited with Father Farrell at the headquarters of the Augustinian Order in Rome, situated right by Saint Peter's Square, where he both works and lives, just as Pope Leo did beforehand. He showed our colleague Hannah Brockhaus, Deputy Vatican Editor of EWTN News, around the complex, which is filled with religious art depicting the life and works of St. Augustine. He shared insight into how Pope Leo's Augustinian roots affect his daily life.

[00:02:07]I wonder how his time as a religious priest, as an Augustinian, how that might be influencing his papacy now and how he is as Pope. What are your thoughts about that? We We are founded as Augustinians to be a community, um based on mutual sharing of everything, uh and taking those opportunities to help each other along the way to God.

[00:02:34]Sometimes that means fraternal correction.

[00:02:37]Uh Sometimes it means just being present to listen.

[00:02:40]Uh But most of all to share material possessions, but also share what's going on in the inner stirrings of my soul, my life.

[00:02:49]And that was part of our initial formation as Augustinians.

[00:02:54]Any Augustinian throughout the world is going to have that initial formation.

[00:02:59]It's based on the rule of St. Augustine.

[00:03:02]Pope Leo also had that.

[00:03:04]And so I don't think he can help but bring that with him to his papacy now, uh especially with the themes, the global themes of of peace, of uh bringing divisions together. You know, his his his motto in the one, in Christ we are one.

[00:03:24]Right? It brings us together to be one, recognizing our diversity, recognizing our differences, but the goal is to come together as one.

[00:03:35]And we are now happy to welcome back to EWTN News in Depth a personal friend of Pope Leo's who also knows his Augustinian roots well, Father Rob Hagin. Currently serves as the 41st prior provincial at the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova just outside Philadelphia. As we've said, Villanova University is the alma mater of our Holy Father. Father Rob Egan, thanks for being back with us. As we look back on 1 year since Pope Leo's election, I'd love to just hear what your reaction was and the reaction of your fellow Augustinians when you saw your friend, Cardinal Prevost, walk out on the loggia and introduce himself as Pope Leo the 14th to the world saying, "I am a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian."

[00:04:19]Thank you, Catherine. It it it's still surreal. It's It's been a year and it's it's still just you have to pinch yourself and remind you that um our brother, Bob, became Pope. And that's how we all felt when he stepped out on that balcony.

[00:04:37]That that that friend and and Augustinian brother and priest and teacher and former prior general to all of us has now become our Holy Father and universal shepherd for the church. It was We're still pinching ourselves.

[00:04:54]And yet um you know, surprised but also grateful because now the the person that we all know and the gifts that he possesses is able to really share them on the world stage.

[00:05:07]Well, can you talk more about that? Are there any personal stories or anecdotes about our Holy Father that you can share with us to help us get to know him even more?

[00:05:17]As Augustinians, we have what we call the general chapter. So, in September of this year, we were over for a a series of meetings.

[00:05:26]That was when we elected our prior general, Father Farrell, who you just had on previously. That's a job that Leo possessed himself.

[00:05:37]They're long meetings, they're long days.

[00:05:40]He came over to be in the company of his brothers, to encourage us to persevere and kind of stay with the process of of working together. We gathered together at lunch after one of those meetings in September.

[00:05:55]And it happened to be his birthday.

[00:05:57]And so, just like you would do for any other member of your family, out came a birthday cake after lunch.

[00:06:03]And we all sang happy birthday and he blew out his candles.

[00:06:06]And it was just a feeling of anything that you would do for a sister or brother in your own family. And it was just a moment of joy to be together and remind him that he's not in this job alone. You know, so that expression, it's lonely at the top. I think that can be true.

[00:06:22]And you heard Father Farrell talk about the value of community. And that's something I think we can all do for our brother Leo is remind him that we're all in this together. We're praying for him, we're supporting him, and we're trying to echo his message of peace around the world. And do you think that sense of having that community and his brotherhood still does that actually help equip him even more for the role of Pope and and provide him even more support there because again, like you said, he shared his birthday with his with his brother friars. He's had lunch with the Augustinians in Rome. You know, there's reporting that there are friars who live with him in the apostolic apartment. Talk more about that.

[00:07:04]Well, I think you're a spot on. And as we know and as Americans in this country, this summer we're going to celebrate 250 years of our independence.

[00:07:14]And independence is certainly something we're grateful for and we celebrate. But I think as Augustinians and appreciation for community, we also celebrate our dependence.

[00:07:24]That we need each other. We need our brothers and sisters. We need the help of one another. And so, I think that's what Augustinian community is providing Leo is reminding him that he's not in this by himself. And he really feels and appreciates those prayers. And and the and the call that all of us have in our own simple ways to go out and be lights and messengers of the gospel. And so as member of community he depends on that. And and I think a message to all of us who might, you know, be tempted to feel like we're in it alone or we have to go it alone to understand that nobody nobody has to go through life by his or herself.

[00:08:05]And that we're all called to kind of help one another through the ups and downs of life. That is a message I think our world desperately needs to hear.

[00:08:13]Father, as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, then Father Robert Francis Prevost traveled the world extensively. How do you think that helped to prepare him for this role specifically for those apostolic journeys he's already undertaken?

[00:08:28]I think it did. I think it's a it's a lesson to all of us that every experience in our life kind of prepares us for the next. And we draw upon those experiences. So, you know, many many years ago Pope Leo as as our prior general was traveling to more than 40 countries speaking six different languages building bridges kind of training for the skill set that he now needs in this role.

[00:08:57]And so really we recognize that in him. To go not just to different countries but different cultures and to respect differences. And we're seeing that play play out now on the world stage even with people of different faiths, you know, when he went to Annaba and he reminded us that our Muslim sisters and brothers are also created in the image and likeness of God. And so there's a real call to find our unity in and through our diversity.

[00:09:27]And this is an experience that that then Father Bob had for 12 years as our prior general going around the world. And and speaking of those travels, Pope Leo recently wrapped up his trip to Africa, which included a visit to Algeria, including the archaeological site of Hippo, which is where St. Augustine lived, worked, and died. Tell us, Father, the significance of of that visit for Pope Leo to walk in the footsteps of St. Augustine.

[00:09:54]You think about anybody in your own family that might be tempted to go back, you know, to where your grandparents or great-grandparents were from. And so, as we heard from Pope Leo when he declared himself a son of Augustine, he really takes that seriously. That for us, uh Augustine really provides a lot of our inspiration.

[00:10:15]And and so, to go back where Augustine served as bishop, um you know, we heard Augustine say when he was bishop, "For you, I'm a bishop. With you, I'm a Christian." Mhm. To get in touch with that servant leadership uh type of handling this role that he has, to go back and literally walk in those footsteps and draw upon, you know, those same values that Augustine had all those many years ago, um you know, that that that couldn't have been a better training and reminder for him as he comes back and handles the responsibilities that he has to carry for all of us. Father, in my final moment with you here, I want to ask, you know, one of St. Augustine's most famous quotes is probably, "Our heart is restless until it rests in you." So, for those of us who who are not experts in St. Augustine can you give us some Augustinian spirituality 101? How does that restless heart notion shape your community's life, and how can each one of us maybe incorporate a bit of Augustinian spirituality into our everyday?

[00:11:18]Thank you. You think about when he said that, in the year, you know, 350, 360, you know, centuries ago, and how much it applies now.

[00:11:30]That you and I, uh we chase. We chase after fulfillment. We chase after jobs and money and houses and a lot of things that we think are going to fulfill us.

[00:11:42]And for Augustine, it was kind of like drinking salt water.

[00:11:46]The more you drank it, the thirstier he got. And so he comes to this conclusion that the only thing is truly going to satisfy us is our right relationship with God and one another. And so that message couldn't be more applicable to us today. What am I attached to? What am I placing too much emphasis upon? What do I need to maybe rearrange in terms of priorities in my life and pay attention to the the truly matter and let go of some of those things are taking up too much time in my life, in my head, and in my heart.

[00:12:19]Wow. Well, I will leave it at that, Father Rob Hagan. Thank you so much for joining us on this special one-year anniversary of Pope Leo's election.

[00:12:26]Thank you.

[00:12:28]Thank you, Catherine.