CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Long before the white smoke rose above St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV—then simply Fr. Robert Francis Prevost, OSA—was already quietly walking among the faithful in the Philippines. His pastoral presence, especially among Augustinian communities, is now being remembered with pride by Filipino Catholics following his historic election on May 8, 2025.
A Blessing in Cebu
On January 31, 2004, as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, Fr. Prevost traveled to Barangay Mohon, Talisay City, Cebu, where he blessed the Augustinian Friary of Mohon. The visit was part of his global leadership responsibilities and reflected his deep pastoral commitment and familiarity with the Filipino Church. The friary is under the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, the first indigenous Augustinian province in Asia.
A Chapter of Brotherhood in 2010
Pope Leo XIV’s ties to the Philippines didn’t end in Cebu. In September 2010, he returned to the country to lead the Intermediate General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine. From September 19 to 30, sessions were held across major religious institutions, including San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Colegio San Agustin in Biñan, and the University of Regina Carmeli (now La Consolacion University) in Malolos, Bulacan.
Fr. Genesis Pacaldo Labana, OSA, who documented the visit, shared: “Here are some of the photos with former Prior General Robert Prevost, OSA—now Pope Leo XIV. I was able to save all these photos way back when I was still in the seminary and part of the SACS Media Center.”
The images show a future pope in simple friar’s robes, engaging with seminarians and friars, emphasizing formation, dialogue, and shared mission. His approach, marked by listening and humility, deeply resonated with local religious communities.
A Pontiff Formed in Mission
Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pope and also holds Peruvian citizenship, having spent over a decade as a missionary and later bishop in Chiclayo, Peru. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, and later that year, elevated him to the College of Cardinals.
His election to the papacy came as a surprise to Vatican watchers but not to those in the peripheries of the Church who remember his global missionary presence—including in the Philippines.
For many Filipino Catholics, especially those in Cebu and Luzon who encountered him as a friar and leader, Pope Leo XIV is more than a name announced from a balcony—he is a familiar face who once sat among them in prayer, formation, and fraternity.
As the Church looks toward the future under his guidance, his quiet visits to the Philippines now stand as a powerful reminder: a papacy rooted in humility can begin far from Rome—perhaps even in a friary in Talisay.
