Pope Leo XIV at the 188th General Chapter of the Order: “Religious vocation is, above all, an adventure of love with God”

On the morning of September 15, Pope Leo XIV arrived at the auditorium of the Augustinian Patristic Institute where the capitular friars were gathered. In unison, our Augustinian brothers stood to sing Happy Birthday to His Holiness in both Italian and English. The Holy Father had turned seventy the day before, Sunday, September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross. This welcome was a touching moment, blending solemnity with a warm fraternal spirit.

In his address, he emphasized the importance of cultivating interiority to strengthen the mission; he insisted on humility as an attitude that leads to communion, and explained that love—not rules—is the foundation of any vocational proposal, as exemplified by Saint Augustine himself.

After the birthday greeting, the Holy Father thanked the outgoing Prior General, Fr. Alejandro Moral, for his generosity, and asked Augustinians around the world to support, also through prayer, the newly elected Prior General, the American Augustinian Fr. Joseph L. Farrell, noting that this service to the Order is increasingly complex.

The General Chapter is an opportunity to pray together and reflect on the gift received, on the relevance of the charism, and on the challenges and issues that confront the community. “As various activities unfold, celebrating the Chapter means listening to the Spirit,” said Pope Leo XIV, “in a way that echoes what our father Augustine said when he emphasized the importance of interiority in the journey of faith: ‘Do not go outside yourself, return to yourself; truth dwells in the inner man’ (De vera religione, 39, 72).”

But returning to oneself is not an escape from responsibility—it serves as a renewal of spiritual and pastoral drive: “Return to that first love of your vocation, to the source of religious life and consecration, so that you may offer light to those whom the Lord places on our path. The relationship with the Lord and with the brothers of your religious family is rediscovered, because from this communion of love we can draw inspiration and better face the challenges of community life and apostolic mission.”

Of all the topics the capitular fathers worked on during these two intense weeks of plenary and group sessions, Leo XIV placed special emphasis on vocations and initial formation. In this regard, he recalled Saint Augustine’s exhortation: “Love what you will become” (Sermon 216, 8).

“An Adventure of Love with God”

The vocational question is perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing the Church as a whole, not just the Order of Saint Augustine. The Holy Father spoke of the mistake of viewing religious formation as a set of rules to follow or tasks to complete.

 What matters most is never losing sight of the fact that love is at the heart of everything, since a vocation is born only when one feels drawn to something great—a love that can nourish and satisfy the heart: “Therefore, our primary concern should be to help, especially young people, to glimpse the beauty of the call and to love what, by embracing their vocation, they may become. Above all, it is an adventure of love with God.”

The Pope explained that Augustine also placed love at the center of his spiritual and intellectual search, and that knowledge of God can never be reached by reason alone or through a set of theoretical facts. It is, above all, about being surprised by His greatness, discovering the trace of God in what happens, and most importantly, loving Him and helping others to love Him.

Humility

In his address at the auditorium of the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum, the Holy Father recalled—as he had during the Opening Mass of the 188th General Chapter—a timeless concept in religious life: humility.

“To those who study,” he said, “Saint Augustine recommends generosity and humility, which are born precisely from love: generosity in sharing one’s research with others so that it may benefit their faith; humility to avoid falling into the vanity of seeking knowledge for its own sake, feeling superior to others simply for possessing it.”

Charity

At the heart of Augustinian spirituality is also community life, whose witness has a profound impact in a world increasingly closed in on itself, driven by a harsh individualism that separates us from God and from one another. According to the Holy Father, even those who enable the communal experience within the Order are not immune to this risk.

“The ineffable gift of divine charity is what we must keep in mind if we wish to fully live both community life and apostolic activity—sharing our material goods, as well as our human and spiritual gifts. Let us remain faithful to evangelical poverty and allow it to become the guiding principle for how we live everything we are and everything we have, including our resources and structures, in service of our apostolic mission.”

Missionary Vocation

Since the first mission in 1533, the Augustinians have proclaimed the Gospel in many parts of the world, caring for local Christian communities, dedicating themselves to education and teaching, promoting culture and the Gospel, and committing themselves to the poor and the marginalized through numerous charitable and social works carried out by the Order in the regions where it is present.

Pope Leo XIV firmly and calmly stated that this missionary spirit must not be extinguished and that it must be accompanied by humble joy, readiness for service, and a willingness to share the life of the People of God.

After his address, Pope Leo XIV listened attentively to the capitular brothers, who presented a wide range of questions concerning the future of the Church, the role of contemplative life within the Order, and the response that Augustinian spirituality must offer to “the sufferings of the world.”

Saint Augustine: An Incarnate Theology to Discover God in Our Humanity

As the Holy Father explained, in life, moments of celebration often coincide with times of difficulty, leading many people to lose their sense of purpose or fall into deep crises of faith. “As Augustinians,” he said, “our response comes from being close to people—to laugh or cry with them. Saint Augustine does not write a theoretical theology, but an incarnate theology, speaking of how to discover the presence of God in our humanity.”

The Pope once again directed reflection toward the heart of authentic Augustinian life—community—inviting a true communion of life, to celebrate and mourn together, and to bear witness through life with our brothers to the crucified and risen Jesus.

Africa’s Vital Contribution

Representatives from the African regions present at the Chapter asked the Pope what he expects from them. Pope Leo XIV responded that the vitality of the Church in Africa is a great treasure for the Order.

He reminded them of the importance of dialogue between young and old, encouraging them to bring forth their presence, enthusiasm, and youthful vocations to support territories experiencing retreat and vocational scarcity: “In the Church and in the Order, we need to listen to one another more deeply—young and old, roots and tradition—to discern what we can offer and witness.”

To young Augustinian religious who have taken on roles of responsibility and leadership within the Order, the Holy Father offered guidance for persevering on the beautiful yet challenging path of faith: prayer, support from their brothers, and broad vision—combining humility, determination, passion, and leadership to face difficult moments.

The “Treasure” of Women’s Contemplative Life in the Order and the Church

Three Augustinian Superiors of our Sisters of Contemplative Life represented and shared with the 188th General Chapter the delicate, beautiful, and essential work carried out quietly by our sisters across the five federations of Augustinian nuns worldwide.

 The Holy Father emphasized that contemplative life is a “treasure” of great value for both the Order and the Church, noting that perhaps throughout history it has not been sufficiently recognized or promoted.

 “We must acknowledge the great richness the Order has received through their presence and diverse charisms. The Church cannot live solely through clerics and men. The presence of women is of great importance in many areas—not only in contemplative and consecrated life.”

At the end of the dialogue, the capitular friars, religious sisters, and lay participants were able to greet the Holy Father individually and share a few brief moments with him.

 It was a long-awaited and deeply desired visit that renewed and encouraged the capitular friars and all the realities that make up the Order, who were with him throughout the day on September 15.

 In a time marked by challenges and opportunities of every kind, his message was clear: only through interiority, humility, charity, and fraternal communion can consecrated life continue to be a light in the midst of the world.

The General Chapter thus stands as an assembly committed to the mission entrusted to the Order by the Church—a time of grace that helps us rediscover, together, the heart of the Augustinian charism.