James O'Reilly
Augustinian friars across the world were overfilled with joy when the first Augustinian pope, Leo XIV, was elected to the papacy.
FR. JOSEPH FARRELL
Prior General, Order of Saint Augustine
My heart was so filled with joy when I heard 'Roberto Francesco'—immediately I knew it was going to be Prevost at that point. Such joy that there was this gasp, it took my breath away. And then, tears of joy. I was surrounded by strangers crying tears of joy for my brother.
While his full-time job is now leading the entire Catholic Church, Pope Leo's brotherhood with the Augustinian order remains.
Thanks to this strong bond, we have heard several amusing stories about the pope's life through other friars of the Augustinian Order. One story, for example, is when Pope Leo tried to change his bank information over the phone:
FR. TOM MCCARTHY
Augustinian Friar, Chicago
'Would it matter to you if I told you I'm Pope Leo?'...She hung up on him.
But Fr. McCarthy has other stories, too. During a recent one-on-one meeting with him at the Vatican apartments, Pope Leo made a joke with Fr. McCarthy when the visiting friar showed up to the papal apartments with bags of gifts from Catholics back in Chicago:
FR. TOM MCCARTHY
Augustinian Friar, Chicago
And I'm walking in with the two big bags, the two big bags of all these gifts that people have given. And so when I walk in, he says, 'What are you doing? Moving in?' And I said, 'All of this is for you. These are all gifts that people have given you'. But it just goes to show his sense of humor. It's a beautiful one, and he hasn't lost it.
Humility is perhaps one of the most important virtues the pope needs to fulfill his demanding role. But after that, a good sense of humor may come second. It certainly seems Pope Leo has both.
