Pope Leo XIV made his second private visit to Rome’s Augustinian community this Sunday, celebrating the 70th birthday of Father Alejandro Moral Antón, Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine and a lifelong friend of the pontiff.
Newsroom (04/06/2025 02:55 , Gaudium Press) Pope Leo XIV made a private visit to the Rome headquarters of the Order of Saint Augustine this Sunday, marking his second trip to the religious community since becoming pontiff in 2025. The occasion celebrated the 70th birthday of Father Alejandro Moral Antón, the Augustinians’ Prior General and a close personal friend of the Pope since their seminary days.
The intimate gathering, held just steps from St. Peter’s Basilica, highlighted the deep bond between the two churchmen. Both entered priesthood in 1982 after studying together at Rome’s Santa Monica International College – the future pope specializing in canon law while Father Moral focused on sacred scripture. Their paths remained intertwined when then-Father Robert Prevost (now Leo XIV) selected Moral as his vicar during his 12-year tenure as Prior General of the Augustinians.
During Sunday’s lunch, the Pope shared a humorous memory of St. John Paul II’s visit to the Augustinian residence decades earlier. “We offered him an orange after the meal,” Leo XIV recounted with a smile, “but he left it on the table, saying he preferred to ‘meditate on the fruit.’ When he left, we young seminarians nearly fought over who would eat it – finally sharing it together!” The anecdote sparked laughter among the gathered friars.
This visit continues Leo XIV’s pattern of maintaining close ties to his religious roots. Just five days after his 2025 election, he made an unannounced stop at the same Augustinian house where he regularly dined as a cardinal. Father Pasquale Cormio recalled the Pope’s words during that emotional first visit: “He told us being pope meant giving up simple freedoms like driving or walking alone – but he’d never stop being an Augustinian at heart.”
Videos released by the Augustinians showed the pontiff in relaxed conversation, telling the friars: “Being Pope doesn’t mean forgetting our vocation. I remain your brother.”
The Pope concluded the celebration by asking for prayers for his ministry, emphasizing the enduring bonds of their shared faith: “We remain united as Augustinians – and above all, as disciples of Christ.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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