Filipino Augustinians rejoice with election of Pope Leo XIV

Then Fr. Robert Fracis Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) celebrating Mass during the Intermediate General Chapter of the worldwide Augustinian order in Binan, Laguna in 2010. Fr. Harold Rentoria (left), former NCCA commissioner, was liturgist and secretary of the Philippine Augustinian province. (Photo courtesy of Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA)

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Augustinians are celebrating with special joy the election of Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA, as Pope Leo XIV — the first Augustinian to ascend to the papacy.

“We have a pope who knows us,” declared the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu–Philippines. The new pope’s election feels deeply personal to the Cebu friars: the new pope has walked their corridors, prayed in their chapels, and joined their chapters long before Rome called him to the Chair of Peter.

As Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIV visited the Philippines multiple times, presiding over provincial chapters and gracing significant milestones of the order that first brought Christianity to the archipelago nearly five centuries ago. In Cebu, where the Augustinians maintain their provincial headquarters, the new pope is a familiar and beloved figure among the friars and faithful.

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Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA, former commissioner for cultural heritage at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, recalls his encounters with the then-Fr. Prevost: “He was prayerful, humble, very approachable, and simple in lifestyle. He spoke with clarity and always reminded us of the importance of prayer, community life, and collaboration.”

“I have great hope in the leadership of Pope Leo XIV,” added Father Rentoria. “I am sure that he will promote unity, peace, love, dialogue, collaboration, the importance of mission in the Church. He will also focus on the initial and ongoing formation of the clergy and religious. He will continue synodality in the Church as a legacy of Pope Francis.”

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The Augustinians were the pioneering missionaries in the Philippines, leading the evangelization of what would become the largest Christian nation in Asia. Their legacy endures not only in faith but also in culture — through massive baroque churches, enduring devotions like the Santo Niño, and contributions to Filipino heritage. /dl/abc