There are two aspects of Leo XIII’s life worth noting that set up our hearts for the next Leo, a hundred years later.

Leo XIII appreciated the Augustinians! While not an Augustinian himself, he appreciated the Order that had been present in his life since childhood. He rebuilt the Augustinian Church in Carpineto, Italy, which is the pope’s native town.

Leo XIII also approved the acquisition of land immediately adjacent to Saint Peter’s Square as the home for the Augustinian General Curia and the international house of studies known today as Saint Monica’s International College.

Noting his affection for the Order, Pope Leo XIII appointed an Augustinian cardinal as his apostolic delegate in the United States and entrusted the Order with stewardship of the parish of Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence.

In his twenty-one years as Bishop of Rome, he declared two Augustinians as saints: Clare of Montefalco and Rita of Cascia.

Pope Leo XIII’s devotion to Our Mother of Good Counsel underscored his deep affinity for the Augustinian Order. This veneration of Mary under this title remains a hallmark of the Augustinians’ spiritual life to this day.

A second attribute of Leo XIII is his affection for the United States. In a letter written in 1902 to Cardinal Gibbons and the American Bishops, Leo XIII said,

Therefore, while the changes in tendencies of nearly all the nations which were Catholic for many centuries give cause for sorrow, the state of your churches, in their flourishing youthfulness, cheers our hearts and fill us with delight.

Archbishop John Ireland was known for quoting Leo XIII as saying of America, “the Future.”

Perhaps Robert Prevost chose the name Leo to honor Leo XIII, who saved the Augustinian order. If Leo XIII saw Robert Prevost emerge from the loggia today, I am sure he would have been proud to see the United States reach spiritual maturity as one of its sons, as successor to Peter.