LOOK: Augustinian churches in the Philippines share throwback photos of Pope Leo XIV's visits
Two Augustinian churches in the Philippines shared images of Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, who visited the Philippines in the 2000s.
Pope Leo XIV joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1977. As an Augustinian priest, he dedicated over a decade to missionary work in Peru starting in 1985, where he led the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo and taught canon law, before serving as the provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago in 1999 and eventually being elected as the prior general of the Augustinian order in 2001, a role he held for two terms.
In a Facebook post, the Order of Saint Augustine - Province of Santo Niño de Cebu congratulated Pope Leo, the first Augustinian and first American pope.
"With great joy, the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu–Philippines joins the Catholic Church in praying for Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA—now Pope Leo XIV—as he begins his ministry as the 267th Supreme Pontiff," they wrote.
"We’re also sharing in this post a few photos of then-Fr. Robert Prevost with our Augustinian friars," they continued.
Images of him during his 2010 visit to the Philippines were also shared. He celebrated Mass at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila, during the Intermediate General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine.
On May 9 (Philippine time), the conclave elected Leo as the 267th Pope. He made his inaugural appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Friday morning.
In his first words as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV offered a message of peace, saying "Peace be with you" and calling for dialogue "without fear." He reflected on his background as an Augustinian priest, emphasizing that above all, he is a Christian and a bishop, stating, "So we can all walk together."
He also recalled his extensive years as a missionary and later as the Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
