Cebu’s Augustinians recall warm memories of new Pope Leo XIV

Years before his stint in the Vatican as a member of different Congregations, and even before becoming a Cardinal, then Bishop Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, visited the Island of Cebu when he was still the Prior General of the Augustinians and blessed the Augustinian Friary of Mohon, Talisay City. | Order of Saint Augustine – Province of Santo Niño de Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The bells of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño rang joyfully in the early hours of Friday, May 9, as white smoke rose over the Vatican and the world was introduced to its 267th pope.

He is a man deeply familiar with Cebu’s Augustinian community.

In a moment that many described as surreal, American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, the former Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, emerged as Pope Leo XIV. He makes history as the first pope from the United States and the first Augustinian friar to ascend to the papacy in centuries.

READ: Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, came to Cebu in 2004

The news was personal and historic for the Augustinian friars in Cebu, where Pope Leo XIV had visited multiple times and forged deep pastoral relationships.

“Surreal gihapon mi. Never in our lifetime did we expect that an Augustinian would become pope,” said Rev. Fr. Jules Van Almerez, OSA, media liaison of the Basilica.

“This is very historic for us — not just in Cebu, not just in the Philippines, but for all Augustinians around the world,” he added.

A leader known to Cebu

Before his episcopal and cardinal appointments, Pope Leo XIV served as the Prior General of the Augustinian Order from 2001 to 2013. In this capacity, he visited Cebu several times, especially during provincial and general chapters, official meetings of Augustinian leaders held every few years.

READ: ‘Great honor’: World leaders welcome first US pope

“He presided over our provincial chapter here in Cebu, and he regularly came for visits — in 2004, 2008, and 2012,” said Fr. Almerez, who recalled his first encounter with Prevost as a young seminarian in 2010.

“I had just entered the seminary when he came for the Intermediate General Chapter. We saw him as a distant figure — someone important, almost like a celebrity for us seminarians. But when we met him, he was warm, simple, and smiling,” he said.

One of the most memorable visits was in 2004 when the then-Prior General blessed the novitiate house in Mohon, Talisay City, where young Augustinian friars begin their religious formation. These encounters with Pope Leo XIV left lasting impressions on many friars, who remember him as humble, pastoral, and deeply committed to the mission of the Church.

A pope shaped by Augustinian values

Augustinian friars in Cebu describe the new pope as a man shaped by the core values of their order: unity in diversity, simplicity of life, and pastoral charity.

READ: From Cebu to Rome: Pope Leo XIV’s deep ties with the Philippines

“Pope Leo is very simple, like Pope Francis,” said Fr. Jonas Mejares, OSA, a prior of the community and the vice president for Augustinian Formation and Mission of the University of San Agustin.

“He lives simply, speaks many languages, and when he talks, he does so with precision. He is calm, composed, and compassionate,” he added.

Fr. Mejares, who met Prevost in the Vatican just weeks before his election, recalled their farewell with poignance.

“It was just ‘Chao, till we meet again.’ I didn’t know that the next time I’d see him, he would already be the Santo Papa,” he said.

The new pope is also known for his theological grounding and pastoral experience. Trained as a canon lawyer, he is recognized for his firm understanding of Church governance and his deep concern for the poor, qualities that make him, according to Cebu’s friars, well-suited to lead the Catholic Church through turbulent times.

“He speaks few words, but every word matters,” said Fr. Mejares. “He’s a voice for the people.”

Bells and blessings

At the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, the spiritual heart of Cebu and a centuries-old Augustinian stronghold, the mood turned jubilant at the announcement of Pope Leo XIV.

“When the name was announced, we rang the bells immediately,” said Fr. Almerez. “It was spontaneous. We were overwhelmed with joy.”

While Pope Leo XIV had not frequently appeared on analysts’ lists of potential popes, many Augustinians quietly recognized his leadership abilities and papal potential.

“Though he rarely appeared among the so-called papabili, we knew he was capable. He led us for 12 years. He was the top — our highest leader,” Fr. Almerez said.

The friars expressed hope that his election would spark renewed interest in Cebu and its Augustinian heritage, especially among pilgrims.

A new era

The historic election of Pope Leo XIV comes at a challenging time for the Catholic Church. He succeeds Pope Francis, the Argentine reformer who passed away last month at age 88, after a 12-year papacy marked by progressive stances on climate change, immigration, and pastoral care.

White smoke appeared over the Sistine Chapel at dawn on Friday, the cardinals’ second day of voting, and soon, tens of thousands in St. Peter’s Square erupted in joy as the new pope stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Peace be with you,” were the first words of Pope Leo XIV, greeted by cries of “Habemus Papam!” and “Viva il Papa!”

Though the details of the conclave remain secret, Pope Leo XIV reportedly secured the required two-thirds vote among 133 cardinal-electors, the most international conclave in history. As tradition dictates, he entered the “Room of Tears” before donning his white cassock and giving his first Urbi et Orbi blessing.

The world now watches as Pope Leo XIV assumes the moral and spiritual leadership of 1.4 billion Catholics at a time of deep global conflict, political polarization, and internal divisions within the Church.

But in a small chapel in Mohon, and inside the historic walls of the Sto. Niño Basilica in Cebu, the Augustinian friars remember him not just as a pope, but as a brother, mentor, and servant. /clorenciana