Prevost, 69, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV, was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, the inaugural U.S. pope in the entire span of the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year existence, previously served as the head of a Catholic religious order.
At 69 years old, Cardinal Prevost, who took on the papal name Pope Leo XIV, held the position of prior general within the Order of St. Augustine. This religious community, established in the 13th century, consists of mendicant friars who are committed to principles of poverty, service, and evangelization. The Vatican News reported that he is the first Augustinian pope.
What is the Order of St. Augustine?
The Order of St. Augustine maintains a presence in approximately 50 countries, as mentioned on its official website. The core values of this order include a contemplative spirituality, communal living, and a strong emphasis on serving others.
The requirements and ethos of the order are traced to the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity.
A core value in their rule is to “live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God.”
A religious order is a community of Catholics — which can include priests, nuns, monks and even lay people — dedicated to a particular type of mission and spirituality. Unlike diocesan priests, who work within a particular territory, religious-order priests might be assigned anywhere in the world. At the same time, they might handle tasks similar to diocesan priests, such as being pastor of a parish.
Pope Francis was the first pope from the Jesuit religious order, and he was the first pope in more than a century and a half to come from any religious order. The previous one was Gregory XVI, a Camaldolese monk (1831-1846).
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