Exactly one year ago, on May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected successor to Peter, taking the name Leo XIV. Since then, his pontificate has been marked by a simple and direct style, rooted in Augustinian spirituality and missionary experience in Peru. On this first anniversary, many observers note that the Pope has chosen not to be a politician, but a pastor who proclaims peace as a gift from the risen Lord.
Father Giuseppe Pagano, an Augustinian and longtime friend of the Pontiff, fondly recalls their youth in Rome, when both took part in peace demonstrations. "Peace is not built by human beings," he says, "it comes from the risen Lord precisely to bring it to humanity." This deep conviction has guided Leo XIV's teaching since his first greeting from the Loggia of the Blessings.
In a world marked by conflicts and divisions, the Pope has chosen to speak to people's hearts, inviting reconciliation and fraternity. His message is never rhetorical, but springs from the concrete experience of one who has lived among the poor and learned to see Christ's face in the least of these.
Faith Made History: The Testimony of 1983
A black-and-white photograph, taken in Rome on October 22, 1983, shows a young Robert Francis Prevost among Augustinian friars, holding a sign that reads "Augustinians for Peace." That image, which went viral after the election, has often been misunderstood: some newspapers placed it in Comiso, Sicily, but it was actually the great Roman demonstration against the Euromissiles, which brought a million people to the square.
Father Pagano, also present in that photo, corrects the account: "It wasn't Comiso, as some have written. It was a Roman demonstration; a confrere linked to Pax Christi had involved us." That prophetic gesture, carried out in the midst of the Cold War, anticipated the Pope's future commitment to peace. His participation was not a political act, but a witness of faith: Christians are called to be peacemakers, because peace is the first gift of the Risen One.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9, NRSV).
This beatitude seems to illuminate the entire journey of Leo XIV, who today, as successor of Peter, continues to invoke peace for the whole world.
Augustinian Spirituality as a Method of Governance
Those who have known the Pope for decades are not surprised by his style. Father Pagano, who has known him since 1983, says: "He began immediately with the message that comes from the risen Christ. For the Pope, peace is not a political issue. He is a man who grew up in Latin America, among the poor of Peru."
Augustinian spirituality, focused on interiority and the search for God in the human heart, is reflected in his way of governing. Leo XIV does not like elaborate speeches, but prefers the simplicity of the Gospel. "At the general curia, he always worked with advisors and commissions," Pagano recalls. "He is an obedient person; he accepts what is asked of him with this intention: 'The Lord asks me, so I do it.'"
This obedience is not passivity, but readiness to be guided by the Spirit. In one year of pontificate, the Pope has already shown he can make important decisions, such as appointing new cardinals and launching a synod on peace. But he has always done so with humility, aware that his task is to serve, not to dominate.
Peace as Proclamation, Not Diplomacy
In his first Urbi et Orbi message, on May 8, 2025, Leo XIV greeted the faithful with the words: "Peace be with you all." Not a diplomatic formula, but a proclamation. For the Pope, peace is a gift that comes
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