During the gathering, the Pontiff highlighted the value of communion among the Augustinians and underscored the importance of offering young people a testimony capable of responding to their spiritual concerns.
According to Agustinos con el Papa, the meeting brought together more than two hundred Augustinian religious from the Province of San Juan de Sahagún, along with representatives of the different branches of the Augustinian family present in Spain, including contemplative nuns, Augustinian Recollects, and various women’s congregations linked to the spirituality of Saint Augustine.
A meeting especially awaited by the Augustinian Family
The gathering took place at the Apostolic Nunciature after a day of fellowship held at Colegio Valdeluz in Madrid. From there, the participants traveled in several buses to meet the Pope.
Among those present was also the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo, who accompanied the Augustinian Family in this encounter with the Holy Father.
The visit held special meaning for the religious in attendance, given that Leo XIV belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine and has always maintained a close connection with the Augustinian spirituality that shaped his religious and priestly formation.
Unity as a response for today’s world
The event began with the greeting of the provincial superior, after which the Pope took the floor.
Leo XIV expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share this moment with his brothers in religious family and emphasized that communion and unity of heart constitute a testimony especially needed in the current context.
He explained that this experience of fraternity can become a message capable of reaching a society marked by divisions and individualism.
The Pontiff also insisted that this testimony must be transmitted especially to the new generations.
A call to accompany young people
During his address, Leo XIV referred to the many young people who had participated the previous day in the gathering held in Plaza de Lima in Madrid.
The Pope recalled that many of them expressed deep questions about the meaning of life, faith, and their future, showing a spiritual search that directly challenges the Church.
For this reason, he encouraged the Augustinians to continue accompanying young people and to offer them spaces where they can find authentic answers to their concerns and discover the richness of the encounter with Christ.
The value of contemplative life
Leo XIV also had words of recognition for the contemplative nuns present at the meeting.
Referring to the Augustinian nuns of the cloister, he highlighted the importance of a vocation that reminds the world of the need for silence, prayer, and interiority.
The Pope noted that contemporary society risks losing the capacity to enter into one’s own heart and listen to the voice of God, which is why contemplative life constitutes an especially valuable testimony for the Church and for the world.
He also emphasized that the contemplative dimension is indispensable for giving meaning and depth to the apostolic and social action carried out by the different branches of the Augustinian Family.
Prayer and final blessing
Before concluding the meeting, Leo XIV invited all those present to pray the Our Father together.
He then greeted the participants personally and imparted his apostolic blessing, bringing to an end a gathering marked by a climate of closeness and fraternity between the Pope and the Augustinian Family in Spain.
For many of those in attendance, the encounter was one of the most moving moments of Leo XIV’s visit, especially because of the opportunity to share a few hours with the first Augustinian Pope in the recent history of the Church.