It is still early in the papacy of Pope Leo XIV, yet already his presence is being felt across the Church and beyond. As the first Pope from the Order of St Augustine, his election marked a historic moment.
Equally of note is the way he has stepped into the role, with humility, clarity and a deep commitment to synodality; all of which has captured hearts and the Gospel imagination around the world.
For me, and for many others who have walked with the Augustinian family, this moment feels deeply personal. Pope Leo, known to us as Fr Bob (or just Bob), has long been a companion on the journey. His papacy is not just a new chapter in Church history; it is a continuation of a path we’ve walked together – one rooted in friendship, faith, and the shared desire to know Christ more deeply.
Pope Leo XIV, then Fr Robert Prevost OSA during the International Augustinian Youth Encounter in 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Fr Jesper Bermudez OSA/Supplied
Long before his appointment as cardinal, Pope Leo served for 12 years as Prior General of the Augustinians. He was elected twice; a sign of the trust and love that the Order had for his leadership. In that role, he constantly visited every Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) community around the world, walking alongside brothers and sisters on missions from South America, Africa to the Asia-Pacific.
That global experience has shaped him profoundly.
I first met Fr Bob at the International Augustinian Youth Encounter (AYE) in 2008. Even then, he walked with us. His message was simple and deeply Augustinian: nothing we have is truly ours, but God’s. We are called to share, to embrace difference and to build community through love and understanding.
Participants of the International Augustinian Youth Encounter in 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Fr Jesper Bermudez OSA/Supplied
These values are not only foundational to Augustinian life, they also breathe life into synodality.
The late Pope Francis, in his own way, embodied this same spirit. His papacy was marked by a Franciscan heart, emphasising simplicity, care for creation and a radical openness to encounter. His encyclical Fratelli Tutti called the Church and the world to a renewed sense of universal fraternity. He led not by decree, but by dialogue, inviting the whole Church into a process of listening and discernment.
Pope Leo XIV continues this legacy with a voice that is both familiar and fresh. In his recent address to representatives of other churches and religions, he quoted St Augustine: “In Illo uno unum.” “In the One, we are one.” This phrase, drawn from Augustine’s commentary on the Psalms, captures the essence of Christian unity: that in Christ, we are not many, but one. It is a unity that does not erase difference, but embraces it in love.
This Augustinian vision of unity is deeply relational. Friendship, in the OSA tradition, is not just a social bond. It is a path to God. As Jesus says in John’s Gospel: “I call you friends” (John 15:15). To be in healthy, lifegiving community is to draw closer to the divine. This is the spirit in which Pope Leo ministers: synodally, relationally, always placing people and relationships at the centre.
Pope Leo XIV, then Fr Robert Prevost OSA (centre), celebrates Mass at Collaroy Beach during the International Augustinian Youth Encounter in 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Image: Fr Jesper Bermudez OSA/Supplied
As Fr Tony Banks OSA, Assistant General for the Augustinians in the Asia-Pacific region, recently shared with me: “Synodality, at its base, has two charisms. The first is that of the Jesuits [which] is discernment. The second is the Augustinian charism of interiority. What Jesuits do individually – they hear, they listen, they express outward – synodality adds an extra component. That’s what really appealed to Pope Francis. The Augustinians go in, come back out to dialogue, go back in again, and then as a group, you proclaim. It’s a continuity.”
This insight offers a profound lens through which to view the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo XIV; not as a change in direction, but as a deepening of the Church’s synodal journey. It is a movement from individual discernment to communal proclamation. From listening hearts to united voices.
Pope Leo’s commitment to synodality is not limited to internal Church structures. Like Pope Francis, he sees synodality and ecumenism as deeply intertwined. His address affirmed his intention to continue building bridges, not only among Christians, but with people of all faiths.
A final story comes to mind when I think of Pope Leo XIV. In 2024, at the Fifth OSA Lay Congress in Rome, I led music at the final Mass presided over by then-Cardinal Prevost. Afterwards, I asked if he remembered me. He smiled and said: “I didn’t remember you until I heard your voice.” That moment, simple and profound, reminded me that in the Church, memory is not just about the past, it’s about presence, about being known and loved in community.
(L) Rachael Kama, a member of the Mission Enhancement Team in the Diocese and OSA Asia Pacific Lay Representative, at the last OSA International Lay Congress in Rome in 2024. Image: supplied
As Pope Leo XIV begins his ministry, he does so with a voice that remembers, not only individuals, but the shared journey of the people of God.
In a world marked by division, the witness of these two popes offers a hopeful path forward. The Franciscan and Augustinian traditions, while different in tone, both point to a Church that is relational, inclusive, and rooted in love. Francis of Assisi embraced the leper; Augustine embraced the restless heart.
His papacy is young, but already it is shaping a Church that listens deeply, walks humbly in community, and seeks God together with hearts ever restless until they rest in Him.
Rachael Kama is the OSA Asia Pacific Lay Representative, and is Senior Facilitator – Parish Engagement Lead in the Mission Enhancement Team in the Diocese of Parramatta. She is also a parishioner at Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park, which is under the care of the Augustinians.
This article was originally published in the 2025 Ordinary Time | Winter edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine. You can read the digital version here or pick up a copy in your local parish.
