St. Augustine in the heart of Pope Francis: a legacy that inspires the Church

Pope Francis, a shepherd close to us, a prophetic voice of our times and a tireless witness to the mercy of God, has found in St. Augustine a light for his magisterium. With words that resonate from the heart of the Bishop of Hippo, the Holy Father has woven a constant homage to the one who knew how to transform the restlessness of the soul into a desire for God. This article is an endearing example of the profound bond between Francis and Augustine: a bond of love, wisdom and passion for truth.

Restlessness as a path to God

“You made us, O Lord, for yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” This immortal phrase from the Confessions has been quoted by Pope Francis on various occasions, such as in the apostolic constitution Vultum Dei quaerere, dedicated to the feminine contemplative life. Francis sees in this Augustinian restlessness not a defect, but a grace: the driving force that impels us to seek the face of God without rest.

Listening with the ears of the heart

In his message for World Communications Day 2022, the Pope gave us an Augustinian pearl: “Do not have your heart in your ears, but your ears in your heart”. With this expression, St. Augustine reminds us that true listening is not technical, but spiritual. And Francis, communicator of the Gospel, knows that without interior silence there can be no dialogue.

The love that unites everything

During his catechesis on the Holy Spirit in October 2024, the Pope quoted the Augustinian doctrine of the Love that unites the Father and the Son. For Augustine, the Holy Spirit is the bond of unity, and Francis does not hesitate to take it up again as the image of the Church: a community united not by structures, but by love poured into hearts.

Mercy and misery met

Misericordia et misera, the apostolic letter that concluded the Jubilee of Mercy, takes its title from an Augustinian intuition about the Gospel passage of the adulterous woman: “Only two remained: mercy and misery”. Francis embraces Augustine’s compassionate gaze, which does not condemn, but opens the doors of forgiveness.

Patience, the fruit of love

“The just person is all the more able to tolerate any harshness when the love of God is greater in him”. This phrase, quoted by the Pope in an audience in March 2024, shows the Augustinian pedagogy of suffering. For Francis, Christian patience is not resignation, but the proof of a mature love.

A legacy that spans the centuries

Pope Francis has shown that St. Augustine is not only a Father of the Church, but a companion on the way in today’s mission. His words, his prayer and his thought are still alive in the voice of the Pope.

Today, more than ever, we Augustinian Recollects listen with gratitude to this Augustinian echo in the pontifical magisterium. For if Pope Francis has the restless soul of Augustine, we too are called to walk with hearts on fire for the truth.