Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025.
An insight into Pope Leo XIV’s character is emerging as his friends from the same religious order offer.
Hours after Leo was selected by cardinals in the Conclave, his friends from the Order of Saint Augustine spoke about the new Pope’s down to earth human touch.
Father Alexander Lam, an Augustinian friar from Peru, where Leo was based, said he had time for everyone.
Said Rev. Fr Lam: “He was very much loved (in Peru). Even the bishops of Peru called him the saint, the Saint of the North, and he had time for everyone.
“Justice, peace, and environment are topics that always touched him deeply.
“When Pope Francis went to Peru, he was one of the bishops who slept with the people, doing the vigil with the people on the ground. And Roberto has that style, that closeness”.
Father Franz Klein, Treasurer-General of the Augustinian Order, who also personally knows the new Pope, described him as a man “who likes to follow the rules of the church and of society” who was likely to “build bridges”.
Stated he: “That was his first thing. Peace be with you, but let us go together, altogether. He meant all these people who are the Catholics in this world, you know”.
