Pope Leo XIV visited Montefalco. The visit involved pastoral activities. The visit took place in Italy. The visit included St. Augustine and nuns.
23 days ago
Pope Leo XIV visited the Augustinian Monastery of Santa Chiara in Montefalco, Italy, on November 20, 2025, following his trip to Assisi and meeting with Italian bishops.1 The pontiff, arriving by helicopter, was greeted by local authorities and crowds in the medieval town.1 2 He spent the day with the cloistered nuns, emphasizing his longstanding ties to the Augustinian community.2
The monastery, established in 1290, follows the Rule of Saint Augustine and houses 13 nuns.1 It preserves the legacy of Saint Clare of Montefalco (1268–1308), known as "of the Cross," who became abbess at 23 and was canonized in 1881.1 The site includes the Church of Santa Chiara with her relics, including her heart, and a 14th-century Chapel of the Holy Cross featuring frescoes.1
The Pope's visit highlighted his prior connections as former Father General of the Augustinian Order, marking his return to the convent as the first pontiff to do so.2 Abbess Maria Cristina Daguati noted the event's familiarity, stemming from years of acquaintance.2 This bond reflects the Pope's deep roots in Augustinian spirituality, influencing the visit's intimate tone.1 2
Pope Leo XIV engaged in informal conversations with the nuns about their vocation, prayer, and synodality in the Church.1 He celebrated Mass in the 17th-century convent church, designed by architect Valentino Martelli.2 The group then shared a traditional Umbrian lunch, fostering a sense of fraternity.1 2
The nuns presented the Pope with a 2026 calendar titled "Toward an Unarmed and Disarming Peace," featuring his speeches, homilies, and Saint Augustine's writings.1 2 Additional gifts included local Sagrantino wine and handmade products.1 These exchanges underscored themes of unity and spiritual witness.1
Abbess Daguati described the Pope as "unarmed and disarming" with a "peacemaking personality," creating an atmosphere of simplicity and ease.1 2 She emphasized the visit's prayerful spirit, noting it did not disrupt their routine but enriched it.2 The event highlighted Saint Clare's example of a beautiful life with Christ, shared through prayer and community.1
The visit reinforced the Augustinian call to unity and the role of contemplative life in the modern Church.1 It served as a personal pastoral outreach, blending the Pope's history with his current ministry.2 Observers see it as a sign of hope amid global challenges, echoing Saint Francis's legacy from nearby Assisi.2
Investigate Augustinian spirituality’s role in papal pastoral visits
Augustinian spirituality, rooted in the life and writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, emphasizes a profound interiority, the restlessness of the heart seeking God, communal unity, and active charity toward others, particularly the poor and marginalized. This tradition, characterized by the pursuit of truth (veritas), unity (unitas), and love (caritas), has profoundly shaped Catholic pastoral ministry, including the papal pastoral visits that bring the successor of Peter into direct contact with the faithful. While papal visits often focus on encouragement, evangelization, and solidarity, Augustinian influences manifest in the emphasis on listening to the "inner teacher," fostering communal bonds, and responding to human needs with compassionate service. Drawing from papal addresses to Augustinian communities and reflections on their charism, this spirituality serves as a guiding light for popes, enabling them to approach pastoral encounters not as mere formalities but as opportunities for authentic dialogue, conversion, and shared mission in the Church.
At its heart, Augustinian spirituality invites a return to the interior life as the source of authentic pastoral action. St. Augustine's famous exhortation, "Do not go outside, come back into yourself. It is in the inner self that Truth dwells," underscores the need for contemplation before engagement with the world. This interior journey is not isolation but preparation for mission: one returns to the self to encounter Christ, the "interior Master," and then goes forth renewed in zeal. Papal teachings highlight how this dynamic informs the shepherd's role, preventing pastoral work from becoming superficial or bureaucratic. For instance, in addressing Augustinian communities, popes have stressed that true pastoral service flows from a "contemplative journey" rooted in obedience to the Spirit and fraternal charity, transforming communities into places of welcome and evangelization.
This spirituality's "restlessness of love"—a theme echoed by Pope Francis in his reflections on Augustine—drives pastors to seek God ceaselessly while reaching out to others without delay. Augustine's own conversion exemplifies this: his encounter with Christ did not end in personal peace but propelled him into zealous preaching and service amid division and heresy. In papal contexts, this restlessness counters "spiritual worldliness" or complacency, urging ministers to "step out" toward the flock, knowing their "odour" as the Good Shepherd did. Such an approach ensures pastoral visits are not scripted events but living expressions of love, where the pope, as a "servant of servants," mirrors Christ's humility.
Communal unity and charity further define Augustinian influence. Augustine's Rule emphasizes shared life in Christ, where contemplation bonds brothers and sisters in generous service. Popes have praised this as a model for the Church, calling Augustinians "teachers of interiority" who guide the faithful toward transcendent meaning amid modern restlessness. In pastoral ministry, this translates to building ecclesial communion, especially in divided contexts, by listening to the Spirit through prayer, dialogue, and attentiveness to the poor—seen as the sacramental presence of Christ.
Popes have frequently engaged Augustinian spirituality in their teachings, viewing it as vital for contemporary pastoral challenges. John Paul II, in multiple addresses, portrayed Augustine as a "great contemplatives" who balanced interior prayer with tireless service to the "needy Christ," responding to the Church's "various necessities." He urged Augustinians to diffuse the "good perfume of Christ" through communities rich in humanity and welcome, a call that resonates with papal visits aimed at revitalizing local Churches. For example, in speaking to the Order, John Paul II emphasized preserving Augustine's heritage to aid humanity's quest for truth, happiness, and love, positioning Augustinian friars as companions in faith formation and evangelization.
Pope Francis built on this by highlighting the "restlessness of love" as essential for consecrated life, warning against "handy communities" that isolate rather than engage. In his message to Augustinian nuns, he linked their contemplative service to education and prayer, urging them to teach the "art of prayer" and maintain joy amid apostolic demands—qualities that infuse pastoral encounters with vitality. This restlessness fosters a pastoral fecundity, where ministers proclaim the Gospel "in season and out of season," seeking the strayed like Augustine in Hippo.
Under Pope Leo XIV, himself an Augustinian (born Robert Francis Prevost), this spirituality takes on renewed prominence. In his 2025 address to the General Chapter, he invoked Augustine's call to interiority as preparation for mission: returning inward renews "spiritual and pastoral zeal," enabling one to offer light to others from the "wellspring of religious life." He stressed vocations as a "spiritual adventure of love," countering rigid formation with awe, generosity, and humility—principles that guide pastoral visits toward personal accompaniment rather than abstraction. Similarly, in a video message to the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, Leo XIV celebrated veritas, unitas, and caritas as commitments to servant leadership, peacemaking, and listening to the "inner teacher" in hearts, especially among the poor and marginalized. His exhortation Dilexi te further roots charity in Augustine's vision, where caring for the needy purifies the heart and proves faith's sincerity, echoing the Church's mission to touch the "flesh of the least." These teachings suggest that Augustinian spirituality equips popes to approach visits with a synodal ear, discerning the Spirit in communal stories and needs.
Direct examples of Augustinian spirituality in papal pastoral visits are illuminated by instances where popes interact with Augustinian-served communities or embody their charism. A notable case is John Paul II's 1988 visit to the Roman parish of Santa Prisca, entrusted to the Augustinians. Despite inclement weather, the pope was greeted by youth with songs, symbolizing the warmth of communal faith that Augustinian spirituality nurtures. The visit, held in the ancient church's chapel, followed an "emblematic itinerary" from external activity to interior prayer, mirroring Augustine's path from study to contemplation as the source of pastoral energy. John Paul II's greeting extended to the entire Augustinian family, reinforcing their role in forming vibrant parishes through education, evangelization, and service—elements central to such visits.
In broader terms, Augustinian influences appear in papal emphases on listening and unity during visits. Leo XIV's homily at the 2025 Mass opening the Augustinian General Chapter invoked Pentecost as an "abundant outpouring of the Spirit," urging an atmosphere of humble listening to God and others, akin to Augustine's unity of believers "speaking in all languages." This synodal approach—prayerful discernment amid diversity—shapes visits like those to divided dioceses or migrant communities, where popes foster reconciliation through dialogue. Francis's restlessness theme similarly informs visits urging outreach to the periphery, as in his calls for pastoral charity that avoids "legalistic obsessions" and embraces the wounded as Christ did.
Theological reflections deepen this role. Augustine viewed justification as cleaving to God through love, a "passion of holy love" that binds souls in fellowship. In priestly formation, this informs a pastoral gaze of compassion, reading lives without judgment and offering attainable Gospel paths. For popes, whose visits often address social wounds, Augustinian spirituality provides a framework for "servant leadership," risking all for the flock as Augustine did amid Vandals and heresies. It counters isolation by viewing the Church as an "inn" for healing, where popes, like the Divine Physician, accompany the faithful.
While sources affirm Augustinian spirituality's vitality, they note tensions: balancing contemplation with action, avoiding vainglory in knowledge, and ensuring formation ignites love rather than routine. In a secular age, this restlessness combats "turning sour" in ministry, preserving joy and humor. Papal visits, as microcosms of Church life, test this balance, demanding popes model Augustine's humility amid global crises.
In summary, Augustinian spirituality enriches papal pastoral visits by grounding them in interior conversion, communal love, and charitable outreach. It transforms these encounters into wellsprings of grace, where popes, as successors to Augustine's pastoral legacy, guide the Church toward deeper unity with Christ and one another. Through listening, service, and zealous proclamation, this tradition ensures the Gospel reaches restless hearts, echoing Augustine's timeless quest: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."