Pope Leo XIV presided over the opening Mass of the 188th General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine at the Basilica of Saint Augustine in Rome.
This celebration officially began the work that will continue until September 18th and will focus on the election of the new Prior General of the Order.
This new meeting brought together 73 voting delegates from 46 countries. The Pope first addressed them in English, their native language…
POPE LEO XIV
To all of you, my Augustinian brothers, brothers and sisters, who are here present, before beginning the formal homily which is prepared, I just want to greet all of you. And for those of you who understand English, but don't understand Italian, pray for a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then, in Italian, he invited them to live the days of the Chapter under the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
POPE LEO XIV
The Holy Spirit speaks, today as in the past. He does so in the "penetralia cordis" and through the brothers and circumstances of life. For this reason, it is important that the Chapter atmosphere, in harmony with the Church's centuries-old tradition, be one of listening—listening to God and to others.
The Pope emphasized three attitudes necessary for communal discernment. He stressed the importance of allowing oneself to be guided:
POPE LEO XIV
Listening, humility, and unity: here are three helpful suggestions the liturgy offers you for the coming days.We invite you to make them your own, renewing the prayer we addressed to the Lord at the beginning of this Celebration:
The opening also coincided with the anniversary of Pope Leo XIV's entry into the Augustinian novitiate, on September 1, 1977.
BAM
TR: GS
