Florence opens the Leo XIV Study Center: “A place of light, listening, and communion”

On October 14th, at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, the presentation of the León XIV Institute took place.

The purpose of this new institution is to promote a genuine encounter with the contemporary world by offering “a perspective on everyday life grounded in the Gospel teaching and in the Social Doctrine of the Church.” The goal, as its organizers affirm, is none other than to educate young people and adults in religious, cultural, social, and political life through a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be human, inspired by the teachings of Saint Augustine.

This initiative has been made possible through the joint efforts of the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome, the Theological Faculty of Central Italy, the University of Florence, and the University of Saint Thomas of Villanova in the United States.

Pope León XIV, in a message read by the Prior General of the Order, Father Joseph Farrell, expressed his wish that the fruits of this new institute might offer “to everyone the Christian vision of a life founded upon the Gospel.”

The Augustinian Community

“The Order of Saint Augustine rejoices in taking part in this new initiative,” said Father Joseph Farrell, who, while reading the Holy Father’s message of congratulations, emphasized that with the León XIV International Institute, “we will be able to bring together scholars and students from all over the world to explore the link between culture and theology, society and Saint Augustine.”“Sixty years ago,” he recalled, “Pope Paul VI reminded us in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes that the Church is part of the world and cannot exist apart from it.” “In every aspect of what it means to be on our human pilgrimage,” he underlined, “the Church becomes an integral contributor.”

For his part, Father Gabriele Pedicino, Provincial of the Italian Augustinians, has welcomed “with great enthusiasm” the creation of this International Institute dedicated to Pope León XIV. “It is particularly significant that the Institute should arise in Florence, at the Basilica of Santo Spirito, which was the cradle of Humanism and the Renaissance.”

“Augustine,” continued Father Pedicino, “was drawn to beauty from his youth, and around the age of twenty-five he dedicated his first work—unfortunately lost—to this very theme. When, at thirty-two, he discovered the true face of wisdom, his passion for beauty did not fade but deepened, transforming into love for God.”

In his magisterium and even more so in his spiritual life, said Father Juan Antonio Cabrera, Rector of the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum, “the Pope has shown that returning to the Fathers is not an exercise in theological archaeology, but an act of fidelity to the living source of faith. The Fathers, in fact, teach us that Christian truth is always contemporary because it is incarnate, and that every age is called to rediscover it with an intelligent heart and a prayerful spirit.” They have taught us “that to return to the origins means to advance in charity. This is the key to the thought of León XIV: a wisdom rooted in tradition yet open to the future; a theology unafraid of dialogue, for it draws its strength from the communion of saints.”

The Institute

“Our main desire is to build something beautiful—through art and culture,” finally emphasized Father Giuseppe Pagano, Prior of the Augustinian community of the Basilica of Santo Spirito in Florence. “An experience born from a dream nurtured over the years and constructed like a mosaic, to which each person has contributed a piece, highlighting how valuable it is for a religious community to be willing to share a path with young people, with all their needs.”

“We will do everything wisely and in collaboration with the civil and religious institutions of the city,” Fr. Pagano stressed, defining the Institute as “an opportunity to open ourselves to those most in need—individuals and families—so that we do not remain always among the same people, but broaden our gaze. Daily bread is essential, but within that bread,” he affirmed, “we must also include culture, for culture helps one defend oneself in a difficult world. The mind often risks drifting away from the heart: it is there that we must accompany people.”

The Institute will begin with an initial series of public lectures. The first, on November 6th, 2025, will be delivered by Monsignor Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi, Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church.