- Maria Wiering (OSV News)
Pope Leo XIV's description of himself as he stood on the balcony of Peter's Basilica on May 8, the day of his election, underscored his vocation in the Augustinian order. "I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, 'With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.'"
In these past months, Pope Leo has constantly directed the eyes of his audience to St. Augustinethe fifth-century bishop who continues to serve as a philosophical and theological heavyweight in Catholic thought.
Here are 10 times that Pope Leo has referred to the thought of St. Augustine or quoted him directly.
We are the times
Let us live well and times will be good.. We are the times". (Speech80.8) - Speech to the media, May 12, 2025.
Days after his election to the papacy, Pope Leo shared a quote from St. Augustine, when he spoke to members of the media about their service to truth and their role in facilitating conversation about social issues.
2. "The church is made up of all those who are in harmony with their brothers and sisters and that love your neighbor".(Sermon 359, 9) - - -Homily at the Mass of Initiation of the Petrine Ministry, May 18, 2025.
Pope Leo pointed out his great desire for a united church, to become "a leaven for a reconciled world," in his homily for the Mass inaugurating his papacy. There he presented this quote from St. Augustine.
Unity: "In the One, who is Christ, we are one".
In fact, unity has always been a constant concern of mine, as evidenced by the motto I chose for my episcopal ministry: 'In Illo uno unum'. This expression of St. Augustine of Hippo reminds us how we too, though we are many, 'In the One, who is Christ, we are one.'" (Expositions on the Psalms, 127, 3). - -Audience a representatives of other churches and ecclesiastical communities and other religions, May 19, 2025.
The day after his inaugural Mass, Pope Leo met with leaders of other churches, ecclesial communities and other religions to discuss universal brotherhood and interreligious dialogue.
The prayer of the Son of God, which gives us hope in our journey.It also reminds us that one day we will all be one unum (cf. St. Augustine, Sermo super Ps. 127): one in the one Savior, embraced by the eternal love of God". - Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and Elders, June 1, 2025.
Pope Leo concluded his homily for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly with this quote from St. Augustine. There he pointed to the love and unity of the family in Christ, both today and among those who have gone before us.
'St. Augustine's heartfelt appeal'.
5. "May we be accompanied by the heartfelt appeal of St. Augustine, who said: Love this Church, be in this holy Church, be this Church; love the Good Shepherd, to the Spouse so fairwho deceives no one, who wishes no one to perish. Pray also for the scattered sheepThat they too may come, that they too may recognize him, that they too may love him; that there may be one flock and one shepherd". (Sermon 138, 10) -Discourse Address to the clergy of the Diocese of RomeJune 12, 2025.
Pope Leo's address to the clergy of his diocese on priestly communion, being a living example in his mission field and addressing the challenges of our time, culminated in this appointment.
Belief in God, with the positive values that derive from it, is an immense source of goodness and truth. for the life of individuals and communities. St. Augustine spoke of the need to move from 'amor sui' - selfish, short-sighted and destructive self-love - to 'amor Dei' - a free and generous love, rooted in God and leading to the gift of self." (cf. The City of God, XIV, 28) - Address to the members of the International Inter-Parliamentary Union, June 21, 2025.
In an address to members of the International Inter-Parliamentary Union, a global organization of parliaments with an emphasis on democracy and diplomacy, Pope Leo referred to St. Augustine's understanding of love. And to its application in building the city of God on a fundamental law of charity.
Journey to the heavenly homeland
7. "Every time the Church yields to the temptation of 'sedentarization and ceases to be 'civitas peregrina' - the people of God on pilgrimage to the heavenly homeland - (cf. Augustine, The City of God, Books XIV-XVI), ceases to be "in the world" and becomes "of the world".(cf. Jn 15:19). -Message for World Migrants and Refugees Day 2025July 25, 2025
In this message, Pope Leo noted that migrants and refugees remind the church of their pilgrimage journey to heaven, and that they can be missionaries of the virtue of hope in the countries that welcome them.
8. "In his commentary on this point of the text, St. Augustine says, in the name of Jesus, 'The crowd presses in, faith touches' (Sermon 243, 2, 2). So it is: every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, contact is established with Him, and immediately His grace flows out of Him. Sometimes we are not aware of it, but in a secret and real way, grace reaches us and gradually transforms our life from within." - General AudienceJune 25, 2025.
The Pope's Wednesday General Audience catechesis on the healing of the bleeding woman and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter in Mark 5 reflected on the transforming power of the virtue of faith.
'Pathways of the mind to God'.
9. Catholic universities are called to become "pathways of the mind to God", following the apt expression of St. Bonaventure, so that the timely exhortation of St. Augustine may become a reality in us.
"Behold, brethren, what is in the human soul. It has no light of its own, it has no powers of its own: but all that is good in the soul is virtue and wisdom: but it is not wise of itself, nor strong of itself, nor is it light to itself... There is a certain origin and source of virtue, there is a certain root of wisdom, there is a certain, as it were, yes, it must also be said, region of immutable truth: from it the soul turns away and is darkened, it draws near and is enlightened" (Exposition on Psalm 58, I, 18). - Message to the participants in the 28th General Assembly of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, July 28, 2025.
Pope Leo's message to institutions of Catholic higher education pointed out their role in the formation of intellects in the search for truth and the danger of novel, popular or safe "siren songs" that distract from their mission.
The City of God
10. "In order to find our balance in the current circumstances, especially you as a Catholic legislators and political leaders, I suggest that we can look to the past, to that towering figure of St. Augustine of Hippo. As a leading voice of the Church at the end of the Roman era, witnessed immense upheaval and social disintegration.
In response, he wrote 'The City of God', a work that offers a vision of hope, a vision of meaning that can still speak to us today". - Address to the International Network of Catholic Legislators, August 23, 2025.
Pope Leo recommended St. Augustine's book to an international group of Catholic legislators, noting the saint's comparison of the "City of Man" and the "City of God," and what the mentality of each means for the flourishing of society.
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Maria Wiering is a senior writer for OSV News.
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This article was originally published in OSV News, and can be consulted at here.
