Pope Leo is known for his prayer life, his friendships, and his sense of humor, as one of his oldest friends shared in a recent interview.
Pope Leo made history as the first Augustinian friar to become pope. Last week, Fr. Joseph Farrell, now Prior General of the Augustinian order and longtime friend of the pontiff, sat down with EWTN News' Deputy Vatican Editor Hannah Brockhaus for a conversation.
Fr. Farrell shared several memories that offer a rare glimpse of the man before the papacy, as well as the latest news from his order. Watch the full interview here:
1He prioritizes his Augustinian community
During the time when Pope Leo served as prefect for the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, he was living in Rome, but not with the Augustinian community there. Nonetheless, spending time with his Augustinian brothers was a priority for him.
How did he make it work? Every day, he made time to pray with the community and share breakfast and lunch with them. Happily, the Augustinians live just a few steps from the Vatican.
He didn't live with us in community here, and yet I saw it was a real priority for him to continue to maintain that sense of connection with community. And so he prayed with us. Every morning, we would have morning prayer together. Mass every morning, share some breakfast. He would go off for his work in the dicastery, and then would come back and have pranzo, have lunchtime, with us.
2He was always first in the chapel
Also from his Rome years, Fr. Farrell fondly recalled how Pope Leo was always the first one found praying in the chapel, early every morning:
So my favorite memories are walking into the chapel — he was always in chapel before any of us — but walking into the chapel and seeing him praying.
3He’s a man of prayer who enjoys a good laugh
Asked about the Pope’s personality, Fr. Farrell clarified that the Pope isn’t shy, but tends to fall on the more introverted end of the spectrum — and has great wit!
He has a great sense of humor ... very systematic. He was a mathematician at Villanova University, and that follows through with him — a man of prayer …
Someone once asked me if he's timid. I said, “No, I don't see him as timid.” Perhaps a person who needs time to recharge his batteries when he's with big groups or preparing to be with big groups… He needs that personal time, which we all do, in a sense, you know, of recognizing, "All right, Lord, I need to listen to you for a little bit before I go out and speak or talk on this particular subject."
4He’s deeply Augustinian
His Augustinian formation shaped much of Pope Leo’s thinking, even his papal motto!
We are founded as Augustinians to be a community based on mutual sharing of everything and taking those opportunities to help each other along the way to God… Any Augustinian throughout the world is going to have that initial formation based on the rule of St. Augustine.
Pope Leo also had that. And so I don't think he can help but bring that with him to his papacy now, especially with the themes, the global themes, of peace, of bringing divisions together. You know, his motto [In Illo Uno Unum, meaning “In the One, we are one”], right? It brings us together to be one — recognizing our diversity, recognizing our differences — but the goal is to come together.
The need to come together as one is an Augustinian principle that deeply shapes Pope Leo's approach as pope. We can all join Pope Leo in working toward unity in our own ways, and uniting together with him and Christians throughout the world through our prayers.
