We have a new Pope - Leo XIV. This time, I can say I know the Pope. I find that unbelievable, hard to compute. So what's going on for me, in the midst of a world story?
On Thursday, 8th May, the Conclave elected a new
Pope - Leo XIV. Amazingly, I have known
him since 1983, as Bob Prevost. That is
because we both belong to the Order of St Augustine. We first met when we were both members of the
Order’s student community, in Rome. From my first
meeting, I have known him as a most friendly and welcoming, fellow Augustinian.
In 2012, when my parents died in the same week,
Bob, then our Prior-General, sent me a personal email, telling me that he so
felt for me in my loss. I was so touched
by his kindness and affection. He is a
genuinely personable and caring character, who always makes you feel at home,
with his hearty laugh and enduring smile. These are my lasting and personal memories of
a man who is now our Pope.
On hearing the news, at 12.30am, thanks to a call from a good friend, I could not go back to sleep. It was not excitement but just pure amazement that I knew the Pope, but it goes even deeper for me. I say that I know the Pope, but also I acknowledge that I am not his best friend, as I am careful not to overdo the connection as some sort of self-gratification trip.
For me, this is a humbling experience. To think that a fellow human being, you shared part of your life with, along the way, became Pope. That speaks immensely to me of the beauty and grandeur of everyday life of which I am a part, as a fragile, vulnerable human being, lifted up by God. That is what it is about for me. And so, his coming onto the world stage gives me a lease of new life.
Viva Francesco! Viva Leone!
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