Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Pope Leo XIV addresses the College of Cardinals at the Vatican on May 10, 2025. The newly elected pontiff outlined his vision for his papacy in his first official meeting. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 10, 2025 / 08:15 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with the College of Cardinals on Saturday morning for his first official address since his election, outlining key priorities for his pontificate in the age of artificial intelligence while emphasizing continuity with his predecessors and commitment to the Church’s social teaching.

The U.S.-born pontiff, speaking in Italian, explained his choice of papal name, noting that Pope Leo XIII “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution” with his encyclical Rerum Novarum.

“In our own day, 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 defense of human dignity, justice, and labor,” Pope Leo said.

The 69-year-old pope began the meeting with a prayer, expressing his gratitude to the cardinals while acknowledging his own limitations in assuming the papacy.

“You, dear cardinals, are the closest collaborators of the pope. This has proved a great comfort to me in accepting a yoke clearly far beyond my own limited powers, as it would be for any of us,” he said.

The pope specifically thanked Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, for their service during the sede vacante period.

In his address, Pope Leo emphasized his commitment to continuing the Church’s path following the Second Vatican Council, specifically highlighting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium as providing “masterful and concrete” direction.

The pope identified several fundamental principles to guide his pontificate, “the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation; the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; growth in collegiality and synodality; attention to the sensus fidei, especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world.”

After his prepared remarks, the Holy Father engaged in a dialogue session with the cardinals, discussing “advice, suggestions, proposals, concrete things” raised during the pre-conclave meetings.

Pope Leo concluded by quoting St. Paul VI’s hope expressed at the beginning of his pontificate in 1963, praying that the Church would “pass over the whole world like a great flame of faith and love kindled in all men and women of goodwill.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses cardinals in the Sistine Chapel during his first Mass as Pope, Friday, May 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 10, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV made history on Thursday when he became the first U.S.-born — and the first Augustinian — to assume the papacy, and many of his fellow Augustinians in the United States are expressing joy about the news and touting the Holy Father’s humility and kindness they encountered firsthand.

“He was Father Bob, [then] Bishop Bob, and now he’s Pope Leo XIV,” Father Barnaby Johns, the prior provincial of the Province of St. Augustine in California, told CNA while reflecting on his interactions with the new pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost.

”It’s so beautiful for us to see our brother up there on that balcony,” Johns said.

Leo, born in Chicago in 1955, became a novitiate in the Order of St. Augustine at age 22 after graduating from Villanova University in 1977. He took his solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

He spent 1985 through 1998 as an Augustinian missionary in Peru, where he was part of the leadership of the Catholic charity Caritas Peru.

Then-Father Prevost was the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago from 1999 to 2001 and then served as the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine from 2001 through 2013. Pope Francis named him the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015 and made him a cardinal in 2023.

Johns, who has known Leo for about 20 years, said the current pontiff is “very good at listening attentively” and has tried “to be supportive in my own journey,” calling the Holy Father “certainly very friendly.”

“He’s always been the most personable and friendly human being who would reach out to you,” Johns said.

Johns recalled meetings he had with Prevost around Easter 2024, shortly after Johns was named prior provincial of the Augustinians in California. Then a cardinal, Prevost “came up to me and asked how I was.” 

Johns said there is “something profound in his being down to earth,” noting the “humility” in a cardinal taking the initiative to check up on his well-being.

At the time, Johns, who is a native to the United Kingdom, was “struggling in [his] vocation” due to his assignment in California, outside of his home country. He said Prevost was “very easy to talk to and enjoyable company” and that “he gave me time, he listened to me, [and] he gave me good advice.”

“To me it felt that the personal interaction was something that he wants to give to those that he encounters,” Johns said, adding: “He’ll bring that touch to the Church.”

He said his fellow Augustinians in his province felt the selection of Prevost was “overwhelming and [we were] overjoyed,” adding that it “means so much on such a deep personal level.”

Father James Halstead, a member of the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chicago, would often interact with Prevost in social and business situations. He first met the Holy Father before he had joined the novitiate, when Prevost was a senior in high school.

Halstead told CNA that after Prevost had entered the order, the young man would often interact with Halstead’s family, and Halstead recalled his mother would say: “They’re all nice guys, but that Bob Prevost is especially calm and respectful and kind.”

“My mother really liked him,” Halstead said. “My sisters liked him more than they liked me.”

He tearfully spoke about Prevost reaching out to him after Halstead was diagnosed with ALS. He said he had not reached out to Prevost about the diagnosis but that Prevost had found out and “sent a very nice email” providing “words of encouragement” and a “promise of prayer.”

“I just want to say that you are very much in my thoughts and prayers,” the now-pope said, according to a copy of the email provided by Halstead. “May you find the strength and courage to carry this cross.”

Halstead noted that there is “great joy and pride” among fellow Augustinians to whom he has spoken, adding that there is “great hope for Bob Prevost, our brother, and [we are] really proud of him and, oh, we’re just delighted.”

An Augustinian papacy

Unlike many orders, the Order of St. Augustine does not have a direct lineage to its patron but was rather established in 1244 by Pope Innocent IV, more than 800 years after Augustine’s death. 

Johns told CNA that the order follows the Rule of St. Augustine and its members seek to mirror his spirituality. He noted that it was “founded to be at the service of the Church by the pope.”

“We are a Christian community living together who are wanting to seek to be brothers and have a sense of fraternity that is contrary to any form of individualism, which is a challenge in today’s society,” Johns added.

Johns noted that in his first speech, Leo said he was a son of Augustine, and Johns referenced the pontiff’s line that paraphrased Augustine: “With you, I am a Christian, and for you, I am a bishop.”

“[His papacy] will have the Augustinian heart at the center of everything,” Johns said, adding that those words demonstrate “that profound sense of fraternity that I think Pope Leo will bring to his papacy.”

Amid some disagreements within the Church on topics such as blessings for same-sex couples and restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass, Johns expects Leo can take “a reconciliatory [approach] as a leader and a brother,” which will “transcend some of these political labels.”

“[Leo will] speak more to the heart and from the heart and that message will — I pray — resonate with all of the divisions … that seem to be occurring within our world, and that’s not an easy [task],” Johns added.

Halstead said there are three primary elements of the Augustinian way of life, which he expects Leo to carry into the papacy: a deep spirituality, community life, and service to the poor and the marginalized. He said Augustinian spirituality teaches one how to cultivate his or her interior life, saying one must “be introspective so you can know yourself.”

“It starts when you enter the novitiate and hopefully it continues until you breathe your last,” Halstead added. 

“He’ll really be able to think deeply and be encouraged to think deeply about the issues that are before him,” he said.

Halstead also referenced some of the divisions within the Church on issues related to same-sex blessings, Communion for the divorced and remarried, and the Latin Mass, saying Leo will need “to deal with those, and not just dialogue about those things, but you’ve got to make a decision.”

“With what he has to handle, I shall pray for him,” Halstead said but expressed confidence in the leadership of the Holy Father.

“Can he deal with them? Yes,” he said. “Is it going to be very difficult? Yes.”

Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo stands outside St. Peter’s Square after the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Marco Mancini/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, May 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo described Pope Leo XIV as a “solid, discreet, and good worker” and expressed confidence that the new pontiff will continue to be “bold” in addressing the needs of today’s world in comments made shortly after the May 8 conclave that elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the Church’s 267th pope.

Speaking with ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner, on the streets of Rome, the bishop of Ajaccio, Corsica — who participated as a cardinal elector — said the College of Cardinals entered the conclave with openness to the Holy Spirit, not political calculation.

“It’s precisely this: We weren’t thinking at all about strategies or political tactics,” Bustillo said.

“We were trusting and wanted not our own good, not the good of us cardinals, but wanted the good of the people of God, and I think we succeeded in giving a good pope to the Church — and this was our objective.”

The cardinal highlighted the significance of the date of Leo’s election. May 8 is marked across much of Europe as Victory in Europe Day, commemorating the end of World War II.

“Our world needs peace — there’s too much violence in our lives, in our families, everywhere, even in international geopolitics — and so there’s a need for peace,” he said. “The pope was right to recall the meaning of peace, and the mission of the Church is to foster peace.”

When asked about similarities between Leo XIV and his predecessor, Pope Francis, Bustillo pointed to their shared pastoral outlook.

“He reminds me of Pope Francis in his contact with people, in his vision of the world, and in his understanding of the Church’s response to the world,” he said. “That’s what’s important.”

Bustillo emphasized that the conclave, which concluded in under 24 hours, was marked by spiritual clarity and fraternal unity.

“He is the pope the Holy Spirit has given us — in less than 24 hours we elected the pope, and there were neither tactics nor strategies. There was freedom and trust,” he said.

Reflecting on the Church’s challenges, Bustillo voiced hope that Leo XIV would offer meaningful guidance for a restless world.

“Faith in a world that is very materialistic, hedonistic — we need to find a spirituality, a soul, in this world that functions but does not live,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Cardinal-elect Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi during an interview CNA on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Rome. / Credit: EWTN News

Vatican City, May 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The election of Leo XIV was enthusiastically received by Caritas Internationalis, which expressed its support for the new pontiff and reaffirmed its readiness to walk alongside the new pope “in a spirit of service and synodality,” recognizing his election as a sign of both continuity and renewal in the ecclesial commitment to the most vulnerable.

“We offer our heartfelt prayers at the beginning of his sacred ministry and we pledge to follow and support him in a spirit of service and synodality, so that in guiding the Church, he may be a visible foundation of unity in faith and communion in charity, ‘building bridges through dialogue’ as we build a synodal Church, walking together, for greater peace and charity, close to those who suffer,” the Catholic organization said in a statement.

Caritas Internationalis also emphasized the significance of the new pope choosing to be called Leo just a few days before the 134th anniversary of Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum, which gave rise to the Church’s social teaching.

“The choice of the name Leo is deeply significant as we approach the 134th anniversary of Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum on May 17, a clear commitment to the social apostolate of the Church and Catholic social teaching,” the statement said.

Caritas Internationalis also stated that its mission is closely linked to charity as an essential expression of the Church’s inner being: “‘As the service of charity is a constitutive element of the Church’s mission and an indispensable expression of her very being’ (Intima Ecclesiae Natura), this new chapter invites us to renew our mission — to witness the love of Christ through concrete acts of compassion, justice, and hope for the world’s most vulnerable, with the dignity of every person at the center, hearing ‘both to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’ (Laudato Si’, 49).”

The president of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, emphasized that the confederation is not just an aid agency but “a manifestation of God’s love in action.”

Along the same lines, the organization’s secretary-general, Alistair Dutton, celebrated the beginning of Leo XIV’s pontificate: “This is an exciting moment for the Church and the world. Pope Leo’s immediate identification with issues of peace, solidarity, dialogue, and charity, and particularly his commitment to people who suffer, is an early indication to his commitment to a missionary Church for the poor and social justice.”

The new pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has a long background in pastoral and charitable work. Born in Chicago, he served as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. From 2022 to 2024, he also served on the board of directors of Caritas Peru.

Sean Callahan, president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) — a member of Caritas Internationalis — also expressed his joy at the election: “We are overjoyed by the election of Pope Leo XIV and look forward to his leadership and guidance. As the first pope born in the United States, this is a momentous occasion for American Catholics and, as the humanitarian organization for the U.S. Church, CRS is proud to mark his historic election.”

Rooted in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Caritas Internationalis is a global confederation present in more than 200 countries.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and a number of cities and dioceses. / Credit: Attributed to Gerard Seghers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, May 10, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, elected on Thursday, is the first pope from the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), also known as the Augustinians, an ancient religious order with thousands of members worldwide. 

The Order of St. Augustine first came together nearly 800 years ago, first composed of a union of a number of religious communities that were using the Rule of St. Augustine, a document written by the saint in the fourth century that continues to be highly influential among Catholic orders today. 

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

St. Augustine was an early Catholic bishop, theologian, and doctor of the Church whose ideas and writings shaped Catholic doctrine for over a millennium. 

As documented in his autobiographical work, the “Confessions,” Augustine was brought up Christian but later abandoned the faith for a life of worldly pleasure and revelry, while at the same time becoming an accomplished philosopher and rhetorician. 

After years following the Manichaean heresy (which posits that the world is in a constant struggle between dark and light), Augustine met St. Ambrose, a bishop and fellow doctor of the Church, who inspired Augustine through his preaching to seek the truth in the Christian faith he had rejected. Augustine returned to his Catholic faith, fulfilling the many years of fervent prayer of his mother, St. Monica. 

After returning to Africa, on a visit to Hippo, Augustine was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics. 

Augustine’s written works, including the “Confessions” and “The City of God,” remain classics of Christian writing and philosophy. 

The order forms

As bishop — so reports the Catholic Encyclopedia — Augustine led a monastic community life with his clergy; vows were not obligatory, but the possession of private property was prohibited.

Many sought to copy his way of life, and Augustine wrote instructions during his lifetime to guide monastic communities, such as “De opere monachorum” (“On the Work of Monks”). The Lateran Synod in 1059 approved Augustine’s “rule” for canons — that is, clerics wanting to follow Augustine’s way of life — and the rule was steadily adopted by many communities, especially in Italy. 

The rule emphasizes love for God and neighbor as the primary commandment, stressing the importance of communal living and sharing, and the prioritization of humility over earthly status. 

Pope Innocent IV in 1244 later united all the disparate communities in Italy using the rule, thus forming the Hermits of St. Augustine, a mendicant order (meaning the friars take a vow of poverty and rely on the support of the faithful). A later pope, Alexander IV, further unified a number of other monasteries and communities in 1256 and also freed the order from the jurisdiction of the bishops. 

Within a century of the Grand Union, as the 1256 consolidation was known, there were already 8,000 friars established in many countries. They became involved in a variety of works as pastors, preachers, educators, scholars, theologians, and missionaries.

As prolific missionaries, the Augustinians ventured throughout Europe, as well as to North and South America, Africa, Japan, Persia, India, and China. The Augustinians have been present in Peru — where Leo XIV spent over two decades of his ministry — since 1551. 

In the United States today, there are three regional provinces of Augustinians: one based in Philadelphia, one in Chicago, and one in San Diego. The Philadelphia province was the first, founded after Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore invited Augustinians to come over from Ireland in the 1790s. 

The Order of Saint Augustine today includes some 2,800 Augustinians in 47 countries throughout the world, according to the order. 

Leo XIV is the first pope elected who is a member of the Order of St. Augustine. Five popes who came before him were canons regular — priests who followed St. Augustine’s rule — and one, Gregory VIII, was a member of the Norbertine order, which also follows St. Augustine’s rule.

There have, however, been several Augustinians canonized as saints, including St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Thomas of Villanova. 

An Augustinian pope

The future Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, attended an Augustinian seminary high school near Holland, Michigan, which is now an event venue. He later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University, which is sponsored by the Augustinians and located in Pennsylvania.

He made his solemn vows as an Augustinian in 1981 and was ordained to the priesthood in June 1982 after studying theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. After being ordained, he earned a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas (also known as the Angelicum) in 1987.

Prevost returned to Chicago for a short time in 1987, serving as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Midwest Augustinians (Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel). He was then sent to Peru, where he served the Augustinians in various capacities including as a regional ecclesiastical judge and teacher of canon law in the diocesan seminary for Trujillo, Peru, for 10 years.

After being elected the head of the Augustinian Province of Chicago, Prevost returned to the U.S. in 1999. He was elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001 and then reelected in 2007, serving as head of the order until 2013.

Cardinal Rainer Woelki arrives at the Vatican on March 5, 2013. / Credit: InterMirifica.net

CNA Deutsch, May 10, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki has candidly confessed he “didn’t expect” the election of Pope Leo XIV, praising the new pontiff’s “warmth and humanity” while expressing hope for theological clarity concerning synodality.

Speaking to EWTN News after attending the new pope’s first Mass in the Sistine Chapel on Friday, the German cardinal reflected on the conclave process that yielded the Church’s 267th pope.

“I entered the conclave with all the different speculations that one could perceive in the media,” Woelki acknowledged. “But it’s usually the case that on the first evening, at the first vote, certain trends become visible — whether others have also discerned in prayer that this or that candidate might be the one called by the Lord. And that’s how it turned out with regard to the current Holy Father.”

The archbishop of Cologne expressed particular appreciation for the papal name choice, connecting it to previous pontiffs who addressed social challenges.

“I think it’s wonderful that he chose this particular name, which besides Leo the Great — who naturally has special significance for Rome — also recalls Leo XIII with Rerum Novarum and its tremendous impact,” Woelki said. “And I think, given the divisions in the world, including the social divisions we face, we depend on the pope’s voice. Just as we once relied on Leo XIII, today we rely on Leo XIV.”

Woelki, who has faced controversies in his German archdiocese in recent years, highlighted qualities he finds reassuring in the new pontiff.

“What I associate most with Pope Leo is his approachability, his humanity,” the cardinal stated. “He radiates security. That is, I believe, something that is important and beneficial here in the Vatican and in this universe.”

Profound problems persist both globally and within the Church that will require papal attention, Woelki observed. Among these challenges, he emphasized theological questions surrounding the concept of synodality as developed during the previous pontificate.

“Major issues naturally include preserving the Church’s unity in faith,” the cardinal explained. “Additionally, what Francis initiated must now be organized by him [Leo XIV] and theologically deepened, especially what Francis repeatedly understood as synodality — where particularly in Germany, but I believe also in other parts of the world, there remains considerable uncertainty about what synodality theologically really means for us.”

The Cologne cardinal also pointed to numerous international conflicts requiring papal leadership.

“Of course, there are the major crisis areas in the world,” Woelki added, “from the Holy Land to Ukraine. In this context, the pope has an important voice regarding peace, social justice, and where people are being exploited.”

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States, was elected on May 8, becoming the first U.S.-born pontiff in the Church’s history.

This story was first published by CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Americans gather in St. Peter’s Square on May 8, 2025, to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, May 9, 2025 / 18:28 pm (CNA).

Americans gathered in St. Peter’s Square on May 8 to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago’s South Side, the 69-year-old Augustinian friar was chosen by the College of Cardinals after just two days of conclave. 

While American flags were scarce among the sea of international banners, those present from the U.S. lingered in the square long after the Holy Father appeared out on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time. They shared prayers, chants, and reflections on the unprecedented moment.  

“Never in a million years did I think that the Holy Spirit would send us a beautiful cardinal from Chicago,” said Deacon Steven Marcus, a Maronite Catholic from Florida. “You could tell by his face that he’s filled with the Holy Spirit. He’s filled with love. This is who the Church needs.” 

Moments after the white smoke rose, the crowd surged toward the front of the basilica.  

John Stadeno, a Villanova University graduate from Philadelphia, stood front and center with his friend, John Sanchez of New York, clutching an American flag and wearing a Phillies jersey and a baseball cap. Together they chanted the name of the spiritual father of the new pope’s religious order: “Agostino! Agostino!” 

“It’s an affirmation of the Augustinian way,” Stadeno said, referencing the shared alma mater with the new pope. “Prevost is a good man. He’s worked hard as a missionary, as a bishop. He’ll do a good job.” 

Sanchez added: “God bless the new Pope Leo XIV and God bless the U.S.A.” 

Brother Benedict Mary Bartsch, OP, a 29-year-old Dominican from Hawaii studying at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum — where the new pope is also an alumnus — expressed his awe at witnessing the event firsthand.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be here in Rome, to be at the heart of the Church, and praying all these days for the cardinals and for the election of the new Holy Father. And to be here in the square when it actually happened, it’s just amazing.” 

Upon seeing Pope Leo XIV emerge, Bartsch observed: “He seemed like he was very moved. I mean, you could see he was tearing up a little bit. You could see that he understood the sort of weight, the burden that comes with the office, with the Petrine office.” 

Andres Novoa, 33, from the Archdiocese of Miami, held up one of the few American flags in the square. “It feels unbelievable,” he said. “The Church needs a lion. The Church needs to realize that Christ is the Lion of Judah. The Church needs to assert herself as the mother and teacher, you know, that is what the world needs. And the Church is not here to hurt anyone. It’s here to give everyone salvation.” 

Novoa joked about the unexpected turn of events: “I thought the only thing this American flag would do for us was get us beat up. And now, the last thing we expected was an American pope.” 

David Solheim, an Eastern Orthodox Christian from Phoenix, traveled to Rome for the conclave. “I came out to Rome specifically for the conclave, something I always wanted to do. Like a bucket list item,” he said. “And never thought that my first conclave would be the first American pope.”

He noted the pope’s initial reaction: “You could tell he wasn’t expecting it. He was nervous. Like, I think all of us would be up there. He seems like a genuine shepherd and pastor and I look forward to what the future holds for the Church.” 

Jerry Grogan, holding an American flag before the announcement, expressed his pride: “It’s so exciting to have someone from Chicago, my hometown, to represent the Catholic Church. I’m so proud.”

He recounted a conversation with a priest from Champaign, Illinois, also waiting in St. Peter’s Square, where they doubted the possibility of an American pope. “Lo and behold, now we have our first American pope,” he said. 

Pope Leo XIV, known for his missionary work in Peru and his role in the Roman Curia as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, brings a global perspective to the papacy. Fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, he is also reportedly a White Sox fan who enjoys playing tennis and the game of “Wordle,” according to his brother.  

“You could tell by the people that were in the square today how much they love Almighty God and how much they love our new Holy Father. Good things are happening for our Church,” Marcus said.

null / Credit: Kelleher photography/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 17:58 pm (CNA).

Before he was pope, he was a math major at a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th head of the Catholic Church. He’s also a class of ‘77 alumnus of Villanova University, which is run by the Order of St. Augustine.

When he was elected to the papacy on May 8, Pope Leo made history as the first pope from the United States. 

A campus abuzz

Amid a busy finals week, bells began to ring on Villanova’s campus Thursday afternoon. Helicopters circled above. Throngs of students hurried to the chapel.

The campus slowly began to discover that the newly-elected pontiff was an alumnus. 

“It was pure shock in the moment — there’s no other way to put it,” said Villanova student Drew Figge, a freshman from Missouri. “No one really expected it and it took a while for us to realize that we were on the same campus as a pope had been.”

Despite it being finals week, with many students having already started to move out, there was a “buzz” all around campus, Figge said. The church bells were “ringing for hours playing our alma mater,” and at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, “numerous people of all ages” had gathered. 

“It’s really cool to think that we are the only college in the country that had a pope graduate from it, so it really sets us apart,” Figge told CNA. 

The buzz even made its way online.

Pope Leo’s alumni status made the Trending page on X: “New pope’s academic background stirs online buzz,” it read on Thursday.  

“This is crazy!” one priest said, according to the university’s senior associate athletic director, Dana O’Neil, who described on X the scene on Thursday afternoon.

“Villanova has God’s divine approval. Is it ever a bad day to be a Wildcat?” quipped one user.  

Jaisy Joseph, an assistant professor of theology at Villanova, told CNA that everything has felt “surreal.”

“From the announcement onwards, the church bells were ringing nonstop in celebration,” Joseph said. “Students, faculty, and staff transition from shock to tears to joy.”  

“What an exciting time to be here at Villanova!” added Alex Dailey, a freshman from Raleigh, North Carolina. 

“Villanova has always been a big part of my family, and my Catholic faith is super important to me,” Dailey told CNA. “So seeing a Villanova alum leading our Church is really inspiring to the university community.”  

Dailey added that he “look[s] forward to this fresh new start for the Catholic Church, for my school, for my country, and for my classmates and myself.” 

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, an alumnus of Villanova, said the news “overwhelmed” him with joy.  

“I think the Augustinians, Villanova, our country, believe that we’ve given, through the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, a great gift to the universal Church,” he told “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro.  

With the papal election, Villanova has “lots of joy and every reason to be proud,” Burbidge said. 

The president of Villanova, Father Peter Donohue, reflected on the future of “this new chapter of Catholic leadership” and what it means for the school and the world. 

“May we be challenged to reexamine our role in fostering an academic environment that remains steadfast in faith yet boldly engages with the complexities of the modern world,” he said. 

The university is named for a 16th-century Spanish Augustinian friar, St. Thomas of Villanova. Nicknamed the “Beggar Bishop,” the saint is remembered for his simple life and inspiring preaching. 

What was the pope like on campus? 

As a child, Robert Francis Prevost already had an inkling that he might want to be a priest. Born on Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, he decided to attend a seminary school run by the Order of St. Augustine. After graduating from St. Augustine High School Seminary in Holland, Michigan, in 1973, he went on to attend Villanova University. 

While at Villanova, Prevost was an active member of the university’s long-standing pro-life club “Villanovans for Life,” the oldest pro-life college club, according to its website. Prevost was a close friend of the two founders of the group and attended various marches for life with the group. 

As a young college student, Prevost joined the Order of St. Augustine’s pre-novitiate, an early stage of preparation before becoming a religious. The year he graduated from Villanova, he joined the Order of St. Augustine as a novitiate. 

Prevost has stayed connected to Villanova over the years, usually stopping by campus whenever he returned to the United States, according to Donohue.

In 2014, Prevost returned to campus to receive an honorary doctorate of humanities. He also served as a board member at the university for a brief amount of time when he was the provincial for the Midwest province of the Augustinians. Last October, he said Mass in St. Peter’s Crypt beneath St. Peter’s Basilica for a group of visiting Villanova students. 

Now, Pope Leo XIV has become the first Augustinian friar to be pope. 

‘An Augustinian papacy’

As an Augustinian priest himself, Donohue reflected on what an “Augustinian papacy will mean to our university community and our world.”

“Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason — between spirituality and wisdom,” Donohue said in a statement shared with CNA.

The new pope’s educational background encompasses reason and faith — mathematics and theology — as it includes a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, a master of divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. 

But the new pope is also “known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence, and warmth,” Donohue said. 

The earliest origins of the Order of Augustine trace back to St. Augustine of Hippo and his rule of monastic life in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, but it was Pope Innocent IV who officially founded the Augustinians in 1244. 

St. Augustine, a doctor of grace, is known for his countless theological contributions to the early Church, most famously his works “Confessions” and “The City of God.” He penned the line “our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God,” around the year 400, which still resonates with people today.  

“Something tells me … we’re going to be hearing a lot about St. Augustine,” Burbidge said. 

As a Villanova theology professor, Joseph said that “many of us are thinking about how to help our students deepen their understanding of the Augustinian charism.”

“This moment brings the Augustinian charism of unitas, veritas, and caritas [unity, truth, and love], which also happens to be the Villanova motto, to the centers of Rome,” she reflected.

Crowds of the faithful fill St. Peter’s Square awaiting smoke from the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 / Credit: EWTN News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 17:28 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

Indian and Pakistani cardinals leave St. Peter’s Basilica together ahead of conclave

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of India and Cardinal Joseph Coutts of Pakistan were spotted leaving St. Peter’s Basilica together on Wednesday after the Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano” (“For the Election of a Pope”). “Cardinal Gracias, 81, leaned on Cardinal Coutts, 79, who extended his arm and conversed with his confrere,” Agencia Fides reported on Thursday. 

“In the general congregation before the conclave on May 6, the entire College of Cardinals issued a public appeal for peace, citing scenarios such as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip,” the pair reportedly told Fides, adding: “The appeal also includes the expression ‘in many other parts of the world,’ and this certainly includes the current situation between India and Pakistan, in which we implore the Lord for a just and lasting peace.” 

The display of unity between the two cardinals comes after a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 Indian civilian tourists, one of whom was a 57-year-old Catholic man, last week. 

Maltese government proposes discussion on legalizing assisted suicide  

The Maltese governement has launched a two-month-long “public consultation” on the prospect of legalizing assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who have six months left to live, with Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg insisting that the proposed reforms would have “strict” parameters, according to a Times of Malta report.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta is urging members of the faithful to engage actively with the government’s consultation process. “I suggest you participate in this consultation and tell the government you are not interested in killing yourself but you are very interested in being assisted and supported as you embrace death with dignity and support,” he said. 

Conference in Jordan calls for unity and enlightenment amid rising extremism

A conference titled “Christians in the Arab East: Aspirations for Unity and Enlightenment” concluded in Amman, Jordan, gathering five patriarchs and religious leaders under the patronage of Prince El Hassan bin Talal, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported. 

Organized by the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, the conference addressed the rising tide of extremism and discrimination in the Middle East. 

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan condemned violence committed in the name of religion, recalling the tragedies inflicted by ISIS, including the 2010 massacre at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad. He called on religious leaders to present honest messages of love and coexistence, and urged governments to translate supportive words into policies that uphold justice, citizenship, and equal rights for all.

Prince El Hassan emphasized that freedom of belief is a cornerstone of modern societies and warned against sectarian and political divisions rooted in historical agreements like Sykes-Picot. He highlighted the Middle East’s rich cultural and religious diversity, calling for policies that promote unity, shared citizenship, and mutual respect. 

Tanzanian bishops’ conference vice president: Attack on secretary-general ‘horrific, evil’

Leaders of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference (TEC) are calling on government security agencies to take action following a violent attack on the conference’s secretary-general, Father Charles Kitima. According to ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, Kitima was left bleeding from the head and calling for help after he was ambushed by two assailants who struck him with a blunt object before fleeing the scene. 

“The Tanzania Episcopal Conference is deeply saddened and strongly condemns the evil act of assault and injury inflicted on the TEC secretary-general, Father Charles Kitima,” said TEC vice president Bishop Eusebius Nzigilwa in a statement. “We call upon the police force and other security agencies to take swift action to identify and apprehend all those involved in planning and carrying out this brutal crime and bring them to justice,” he said. 

Bishop Bätzing: Chancellor Merz should fall back on the ‘expertise’ of the Church

The chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), Bishop Georg Bätzing, congratulated the new chancellor Friedrich Merz and encouraged him to fall back on the “expertise” of the Church in many politically relevant questions, CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner, reported on Wednesday. 

“I sincerely wish you success in your work, necessary and courageous decisions, and, above all, God’s rich blessings,” Bätzing wrote in a statement. “You know that the Catholic Church is a reliable and constructive partner in many matters that affect your government program. Please draw on the expertise that we as a Church can bring to the political context.”

Then-Cardinal Robert Prevost speaking at St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox, Illinois, on Aug. 7, 2024. / Credit: Courtesy of St. Jude Catholic Church in New Lenox, Illinois

CNA Staff, May 9, 2025 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

Nine months ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost sat down for an interview at a parish in the Chicago area before celebrating Mass. Now that he is Pope Leo XIV, his words on the National Eucharistic Congress, Pope Francis, synodality, and more have taken on extra significance. 

Here are some highlights from the videotaped interview at St. Jude Church in New Lenox, Illinois.  

On the National Eucharistic Congress:

“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.” 

On Pope Francis:

Prevost recalled the homily at Pope Francis’ first public Mass about the passage where Jesus showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery. 

“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.”

On Francis being elected pope:

“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.”

“Let’s relax a little bit and trust in the Lord.” 

On mercy: 

Prevost recalled Pope Francis showing him an image of a Gothic cathedral in France with a carving of Jesus holding the body of Judas in his arms after Judas had taken his own life. 

“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. 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.’”

On the Synod on Synodality:

“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; we become 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.

“The synod is, you hopefully have heard, ‘synodos,’ Greek, means to walk together, following on an initiative that goes all the way back to the Second Vatican Council and Pope St. Paul VI.”

“But 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 —  we’re all called to be a part of this Church.” 

“It does not take away at all the authority 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’s the real synod, and then there’s the stuff you read on the internet and in different places. There’s a lot of key issues that are saying, ‘Well, what do they do about this? Or what do they do that? And who’s on this side? Who’s on that side?’ That’s not what the synod is about.” 

“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.”

On the media:

“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.”

On the Jubilee of Hope:

“But 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 [an] authentic community, communion, parish community, where we care about one another, where we recognize as the Lord promised, ‘Where two or three gathered in my name, there I am in, their midst,’ and we say, ‘We as believing Catholics have a magnificent message.’”