Pope Leo XIV — Building the City of God
At the beginning of this month of August, I reflected in this column how August is a vulnerable month, which has a transitional aspect to it. The month is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and its center is the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into heaven, representing the pilgrimage that we are all on together in this life and ultimately into the fullness of life in heaven. We are about to celebrate another significant saint in the life of the Church who speaks to us of the restlessness that we feel in our hearts, which only can be calmed by our faith in God and His presence within us. That saint is Augustine, whose feast day we celebrate on Aug. 28.
St. Augustine is a particularly significant saint in the life of the Church in terms of his teaching through his many writings and the example of his life. He is even more significant to us as he is the patron of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who is a member of the Congregation of Augustinians. Three months ago on May 8, when Leo was elected, his first words from the balcony at St. Peter’s to the crowd were, “I am in Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you, I am a Bishop. In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.” During his three months as pope, Leo has constantly referred to the teachings and example of St. Augustine in his teaching and preaching to all people of different ages and backgrounds. Indeed, Pope Leo truly is a son of St. Augustine.
The episcopal motto of Pope Leo XIV, taken from St. Augustine’s commentary on Psalm 127, is In Illo uno unum which translates, In the one Christ, we are one. Christ truly is the center of the life and ministry of Pope Leo as He is the center of the lives of each and every one of us no matter what our vocation in life may be. Leo has emphasized that unity within the life of the Church is essential to its nature, and that unity is derived from unity with Jesus Christ. Of the many messages Pope Leo XIV expressed in this regard, this one to the Pontifical Mission Societies sums them up very well: “Christ is our savior and in Him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures, and experiences.” This message is at the heart of the life and teaching of St. Augustine.
The Confessions of St. Augustine was one of his central works. In this work, he expresses his own conversion to Christianity and a radical change of life, which included a turn from sin to grace. Some of his most well-known words from this work are, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.” How easy it is for all of us to identify with these words, since there is a restlessness inside of all of us which never seems to be able to be met with all of the good things of this world, which God has given us. It is only when God is part of the picture of our lives that we begin to realize we will never be fully satisfied until we are with Him in heaven as the purpose of our lives. Pope Leo has consistently spoken of the misdirection of our hearts today, which goes contrary to who we are as made in the image and likeness of God. He especially expresses his concern about artificial intelligence, which for its good can substitute the wrong meaning and purpose for life. St. Augustine is central in reminding all of us of the direction our lives should have and the need for God as essential to them.
Another central part of the many works of St. Augustine is his famous treatise, The City of God. This is a monumental complex work on philosophical, theological and political matters, which centers on a fairly basic simple premise. That premise is Christ is the center, and Christ alone constitutes the City of God. There is an opposing city of the evil one, Satan, which we see around us in so many different ways in our world. It is a city which does not make God the center but makes its own satisfaction the center of who we are. It is this city which destroys and brings great lack of peace to the world. It is only by living together in the City of God and supporting each other in that city that we are able to build and create a better world.
Another famous work of St. Augustine is his Commentary on the Psalms. This work emphasizes the importance he attributes to prayer and the need for it in our daily lives. For St. Augustine, prayer was not merely recitation of words but a living of faith when the Word of God is personally heard within our hearts. Pope Leo XIV has consistently spoken of the need for a personal relationship with God, knowing that He is with us in an intimate manner and that He is our life companion. Pope Leo’s teaching is much in keeping with that of Pope Francis in this regard. It is only through prayer that we are able to put our hearts at rest with God as the center and to build the City of God each and every day.
As we begin to draw to the conclusion of the month of August, we do so celebrating the Feast of St. Augustine, whose teaching is clearly exemplified in the life of one of his sons, Pope Leo XIV. All of us are pilgrims in this world yearning for a deeper peace within our hearts, which only can be found in Christ. In Him, and Him alone, are we at peace.
In a video message to the young people of Chicago and to the whole world, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that St. Augustine taught, “If we want the world to be a better place, we have to begin with ourselves, we have to begin with our own lives, our own hearts.” These words are essential to all of us in finding peace within our hearts and in building the City of God.
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
