Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
Everyone remembers what they were doing on this day: September 11, 2001. New York City.
This explosion changed the world forever. Hijacked planes slammed into the Twin Towers. The blue sky turned into a black cloud of dust and ash, leaving nearly 3000 people dead.
Across the ocean, the sun was shining brightly over Rome. It was almost 3pm. No one understood what was happening. But the news began making its way onto the televisions in millions of homes.
Very close to the Vatican, dozens of Augustinians were gathered. They were meeting right here, at their headquarters. One of them would later make history. He was American. His name was Robert Prevost.
FR. ALEJANDRO MORAL
Former Prior General of the Augustinians
It was the 2001 General Chapter, and we were gathered there. Then some news came in about what had happened, and, well, after the news and especially that evening, we went to watch television. And we saw that, unfortunately, the reports we had been told and warned about had been confirmed.
Huddled around the television, they followed the news minute by minute. Some of those Augustinians were from the United States. Far from home, they faced an attack unlike anything they had ever seen.
FR. ALEJANDRO MORAL
Former Prior General of the Augustinians
As the news kept coming in, the pain kept growing, as I said, including for Robert Prevost, who was with us at different moments. At times, people would go in and out of the room to watch television. Some would leave because of the pain, while others arrived later. And we all shared that historic and tragic moment for the United States and for the history of humanity.
From the very beginning, they began to pray. They were difficult days. And Robert Prevost, who would later become the Augustinians’ prior general, experienced it this way.
FR. ALEJANDRO MORAL
Former Prior General of the Augustinians
Robert Prevost, at that time Brother Robert Prevost—his birthday was on the 14th, which was also the day he was elected prior general—had the Eucharist. He was moved, as we all were, and we prayed there during the Eucharist. Of course, we had also prayed on the 12th and 13th, praying for the victims, for the victims’ families, for the United States, and for peace in the world.
Ten days after the attacks, on September 21, the Augustinians brought their General Chapter to a close. Robert Prevost was already their prior. In his homily, he recalled what had happened.
The violence that the world saw in the U.S. last week is a tragic reminder of a series of problems that are increasing in the world. Hatred and violence will continue to increase as long as so many are forced to live in extreme poverty, oppressed by so many forms of injustice.
Twenty-five years have passed, and those words resonate with renewed force—but this time, in the voice of a universal pastor: Pope Leo XIV.
