Pope Leo XIV visited the Philippines twice before he became the head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, May 8.
The Pontiff – then Father Robert Prevost – visited Cebu and Manila in 2004 and 2010, respectively.
He was in Talisay City, Cebu to bless a friary of the Order of Saint Augustine of the Santo Niño de Cebu Parish on Jan. 31, 2004.
Pope Leo XIV was then the prior general or head of the Order of Saint Augustine at the time.
“With great joy, the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu–Philippines joins the Catholic Church in praying for Robert Cardinal Prevost, OSA—now Pope Leo XIV—as he begins his ministry as the 267th Supreme Pontiff,” the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu–Philippines said on a Facebook post.
It shared photos of the Pontiff during his visit on its Facebook page.
Six years later, in September 2010, Pope Leo XIV returned to Manila for the congregation’s Intermediate General Chapter.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) shared photos of the Pope presiding over a Mass at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila.
As part of the event, the Pope also visited Colegio San Agustin in Binan City, Laguna and the University of Regina Carmeli in Malolos City, Bulacan as part of the event.
“Little did we know that the warm and humble Prior General who walked our halls would one day become the first Augustinian Pope and the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church,” Colegio San Agustin-Binan said in a Facebook post.
The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu in Cebu City and the San Agustin Church are under the care of the Augustinians.
HISTORIC FIRSTS
Cardinal Prevost was elected Pope on the second day of the conclave, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. White smoke from the Sistine Chapel at 12:08 a.m. (Manila time) on May 8 confirmed his election.
His papacy marks several historic firsts: he is the first Pope from the Augustinian Order, the first American-born Pope, and the second Pope from the Americas—after Pope Francis.
Three Filipino cardinals—Luis Antonio Tagle, Jose Advincula, and Pablo Virgilio David—participated in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
WHO IS POPE LEO XIV?
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Robert Francis Prevost was ordained an Augustinian priest in Rome on June 19, 1982. He later served as Provincial of the Augustinians in Chicago before being elected Prior General in 2001.
Key milestones in his ministry:
– Appointed Apostolic Administrator of Chiclayo, Peru (2014)
– Consecrated bishop (December 2014)
– Named Bishop of Chiclayo (2015)
– Served in the Congregation for the Clergy (2019) and the Congregation for Bishops (2020)
– Appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (2023)
– Created cardinal (September 30, 2023)
He holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas and brings decades of pastoral, academic, and missionary experience to the papacy.
MASS FOR THE POPE
The Archdiocese of Cebu has invited parishes to offer a “Mass for the Pope” in gratitude for the new Holy Father. His name will now be included in the Eucharistic Prayer at all Masses.
“Since the new Pope was elected on a weekday, our parishes and communities are requested to celebrate the Mass ‘For the Pope’ (Roman Missal, Masses for Various Needs or Occasions) or ‘For the Pope’ (Sakramentaryo, Masses for Various Needs or Occasions),” the Archdiocese said.
“The readings of the day will be used. The following prayer can also be said (in place of the Oratio Imperata for the Nation) to express gratitude for the gift of a new Holy Father,” it added.
The Archdiocese also urged the faithful to reflect on the Church’s heritage and “look to the future with hope,” drawing symbolic parallels to Pope Leo XIII—the last pontiff to bear the name Leo, who led the Church into the modern era beginning in 1878.
Filipino Catholics—like Filipino Augustinian priest Fr. Genesis Labana—are recalling on social media the times he walked among them: blessing communities, celebrating sacraments, and embodying the missionary spirit that now leads the universal Church. (Tristan Lozano, Merlinda Hernando-Malipot)
