AN AUGUSTINIAN POPE FOLLOWS A JESUIT POPE: What to Expect?

The article compares the papacies of Pope Francis, a Jesuit, and Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian, highlighting how their respective spiritual traditions shape their vision and leadership. Pope Francis emphasized Jesuit values such as discernment, humility, and mercy, creating a synodal Church focused on listening, missionary outreach, and structural reform. Pope Leo XIV, rooted in Augustinian spirituality, centers on community life, interior conversion, and a deep search for truth and unity. Drawing from his missionary experience in Peru and administrative roles in the Church, Leo advocates continuity with Francis, particularly in evangelization, social justice, and synodality. His early papal addresses reflect Augustine’s influence—emphasizing unity, service, and the restlessness of the heart for God. Unlike Francis’s reformist tone, Leo’s approach is more pastoral and spiritually grounded, linking synodality to holiness, ecumenism, and fraternal communion. The article suggests Leo’s leadership will emphasize spiritual renewal, community, and fidelity to Vatican II with a certain measure of institutionalization and routinization.