Daniel del Castillo González
Some people know Pope Leo XIV for his speeches, his decisions, and his public appearances. But Alberto Bochatey has known Robert Prevost since their years living together in Rome.
He is now Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata, in Argentina, where Pope Leo XIV is making his sixth apostolic journey.
They have known each other for more than forty years, ever since they were young priests. They shared a daily life far removed from the spotlight that surrounds the pontiff today.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
We shared our lives, even down to washing the dishes and setting the table together. And then, when he finished his studies and I finished mine, we each went our separate ways. I returned to Argentina and he returned to the United States, but it was already very clear to me that he wanted to go to Peru, to do missionary work, and so he went to Chulucanas, in Peru.
In 1987, Prevost completed his doctorate in canon law in Rome. But his future didn’t lie in academia or in ecclesiastical offices.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
When he earned his doctorate in Rome, they wouldn't let him return. They wanted him to stay in Rome and work there. He told them, “No, no, I want to go on the missions; I want to go on the missions.” And it took some effort, including a few arguments with his superiors, before he finally got permission to go to Peru and serve on the missions.
During some renovation work on the curia, Bochatey had the idea of renovating the dining hall, but the Order’s bursar wasn’t very pleased with the decision.
The day after that argument, Bochatey and Prevost were supposed to carpool, but the Argentine was still preoccupied with what had happened the day before.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
since we'd been in the car for about an hour and the subject hadn't come up, I said to him, “Look, Robert, honestly, about yesterday...” And he looked at me and said, “What happened yesterday ended yesterday.”
Their relationship also had to adapt to the changes in their responsibilities. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bochatey as Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata.
His new position meant leaving behind his hierarchical subordination within the Augustinian community. And Prevost was the first to remind him of that.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
Look, Robert, if you want... since the bishop in La Plata doesn't want me to go until January, or March, I can finish up my classes, take my exams, and, in short, wrap up the academic semester by January and February. And he replied: “Well, I don't know, because I'm no longer your superior.” True, of course, the bishop’s superior is the Pope. I’m just a consultant, a friend of yours, and nothing more. Wow, that leaves me at a loss.
The story took another turn in May 2025, when the superior of the Augustinians became the head of the Catholic Church. Prevost still couldn't shake his friend Bochatey.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
Last year, when he became Pope and I was able to visit him, I told him, “Now you really are my superior again.”
I told him, “Robert, I don’t know what to call you. After 40 years of calling you Robert, should I call you Robert or Leo?” He said, “That’s your problem.”
And that admiration for Prevost was not limited to his fellow Augustinians. When Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Chiclayo, Bochatey had the opportunity to thank him personally for the decision.
MSGR. ALBERTO BOCHATEY
Auxiliary Bishop of La Plata
At one point during the conversation, I said to him, “And thank you for appointing another Augustinian as bishop.” And at that moment, the Pope’s expression changed; he looked at me seriously, because I had said it as a gesture of gratitude, something friendly. He looked at me seriously and said, “That man is the moral anchor for many.”
Now Bochatey is waiting in Argentina for his lifelong friend. But behind the Pope stands that same Robert with whom he shared a community, the occasional scolding, and more than a few pizzas.
