Very old Augustinian friend of Pope thinks renewed permission for Latin Mass is still out of the question

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Prior General Moral explains the influence of the Augustinian Order on Leo XIV

"I think he's happy"

Father Alejandro Moral is a very good friend of the Pope. Some say he's even his best friend. In an interview, the Prior General of the Augustinians talks about his brother Robert, who now calls himself Pope Leo XIV.

DOMRADIO.DE: You have been described by several media outlets as the Pope's "best friend." Is that true?

Father Alejandro Moral Antón OSA (Prior General of the Augustinian Order): I don't know exactly. Pope Leo XIV has several good friends. I am one of them. We are indeed very good friends and have known each other since 1981. Back then, we were both studying for our order in Rome and met here.

DOMRADIO.DE: What characterizes Leo XIV, or rather, Robert Prevost, as a person?

Moral: He is a calm and cheerful person. Robert is a very good listener. He doesn't always need to speak and be the center of attention. But when decisions need to be made, he doesn't hesitate to make them. As an Augustinian, he is a good brother. The charism of our religious life has become second nature to him.

Father Alejandro Moral

"He's still the same, but of course we see each other much less now. He simply has a lot to do."

DOMRADIO.DE: What characterises life in the Augustinian Order?

Moral: For us Augustinians, fraternal community, unity among ourselves and as a Church are very important. We seek the truth together. Robert embodies this today as Pope Leo XIV.

DOMRADIO.DE: Since his election as Pope, you have met your former brother several times. Has he changed?

Moral: He's still the same, but we see each other much less now. He simply has a lot to do. I think he's happy in his new office as Pope. At least, he seems that way. Of course, leading the entire Church is a great burden. But he wants to fulfill this task, which the Cardinals have entrusted him with, to the best of his ability.

DOMRADIO.DE: Are you worried about your friend?

Moral: A little. I'm thinking, above all, that as Pope, you run the risk of feeling very lonely at times. That comes with this office. We in the Augustinian Order also experience this with the brothers who become bishops and then no longer live in community in our monasteries, but alone in their dioceses. This means they often have to eat alone, and so on. In short: life is completely different. This can become a problem. So how could I not worry about my friend?!

DOMRADIO.DE: Have you discussed with Pope Leo XIV how it might be possible for you as fellow brothers to spend at least a little time together in the future?

Moral: Ways will be found to foster communion among yourselves. Of course, the Pope belongs to the entire Church and is responsible for it. We Augustinians want to help him in this service, for example, by ensuring that he doesn't feel lonely. But it's not easy.

Father Alejandro Moral

"I still get goosebumps when I think of the moment I first saw Robert as Pope."

DOMRADIO.DE: What went through your mind when you learned of Robert Prevost's election as Pope?

Moral: I felt very happy. This gave me the desire to help him as best I could in serving the Church. I still get goosebumps when I think of the moment I first saw Robert as Pope. I told him that just recently.

DOMRADIO.DE: Did you consider your fellow brother a possible candidate for the papacy?

Moral: Honestly, yes. Because Robert was mentioned in some newspapers as one of several possible candidates. Considering everything he brings with him, one had to assume he had a chance of becoming pope. I also spoke to him about it.

DOMRADIO.DE: And what was his reaction?

Moral: He knew about it. He became particularly aware that he could potentially become the next pope in the final days before the conclave began. That was at the beginning of May, when the cardinals present in Rome met for their daily assemblies, the consistories. There, they not only discussed the current challenges facing the Church, but also mentioned names of who could become the next pope in private. The name Robert Prevost was also mentioned.

Father Alejandro Moral

"When we celebrated Holy Mass, he often played the organ – which he was very good at."

DOMRADIO.DE: Many people around the world wonder what defines Leo XIV as a person. Can you tell us a story or anecdote that brings him closer to us?

Moral: We've experienced a lot together. There are certainly one or two stories, but unfortunately, I can't think of one right now. I can only repeat what I've already said about Robert: He's a very pleasant person, simple in the best sense of the word, and communicative. We've seen quite a few soccer games. It's a lot of fun with him. When we celebrated Holy Mass, he often played the organ—something he's very good at. He's also a good singer. We often went for walks together. He's just a completely normal person.

DOMRADIO.DE: Is Pope Leo XIV more of an intellectual or a pragmatic person?

Moral: Robert is a very intelligent person. I speak from experience. I worked with him for twelve years in the Curia of our order in Rome. But he's also a very pragmatic person. When he was a missionary in Peru, he always worked with the local faithful to find solutions to problems that arose: If a computer broke down, he tried to repair it. The same thing happened with cars or even with organs that didn't work.

DOMRADIO.DE: Did Pope Francis want your confrere Cardinal Robert Prevost as his successor?

Moral: Francis held Robert in high esteem. He really liked him. He told me this several times. It wasn't for nothing that he appointed him bishop, head of the Dicastery of Bishops, and cardinal. But Leo XIV and Francis are different people with different priorities. That doesn't mean there aren't issues that are dear to both of their hearts. I'm thinking of environmental protection and social issues, for example. Leo will certainly continue his predecessor's path in this regard.

But he has his own priorities, which he will emphasize to proclaim the Gospel in the present. They also have different personalities: Leo is calm and thoughtful. Francis was a bit more temperamental in this regard. Don't get me wrong: I greatly respected Francis, and I believe he was a saint. That's why it pains me that people are speaking ill of him after his death.

DOMRADIO.DE: Do you have an example of the issues you think Leo XIV cared more about?

Moral: He will devote himself more to unity in the Church and the unity of all people in the world. This is also an important concept in the spirituality of the Augustinians. Unitas, caritas, veritas – unity, charity, truth: these are the important values ​​of our order, which we teach in our schools and which are also fundamental to the current Pope.

Ultimately, these are virtues that are important for the entire Church and that go back to Jesus Christ. Let's look at the world: There are so many wars in numerous countries, so many people around the world are suffering. We need more unity among ourselves.

Father Alejandro Moral

"And who knows: Maybe in the coming days I'll go to lunch with us in the Curia and then the Pope will simply be sitting at the table."

DOMRADIO.DE: There are groups in the Church who hope that Pope Leo will take a different course with regard to the so-called Old Mass than his predecessor, who was very restrictive on this issue. You hope this will lead to greater unity in the Church. How do you assess the Pope in this regard?

Moral: I think it is out of the question that this topic will be brought up again under Leo XIV. Nor would that make sense, because the Church reformed itself in the Second Vatican Council - including its liturgy. As members of the Church, we must all do our part to ensure that we remain in communion. This also applies to these groups that promote the Old Mass.

DOMRADIO.DE: Has the election of your confrere Robert Prevost as Pope had an impact on the Augustinian Order?

Moral: The Pope is the head of the entire Church. Leo XIV doesn't belong to the Augustinian Order or anything like that. But of course the media attention for our community helps us to make our charism better known in the world. We are also noticing that more young men than before are contacting us who are interested in a life in the Order. We are a little cautious about this, but we take their search for a personal vocation seriously and are happy to accompany them on their journey through life with us in the order.

DOMRADIO.DE: One final question: Do you already know when you will next see Pope Leo?

Moral: I can't say yet, because as Prior General I am often travelling. The Pope also has a lot on his plate. (laughs) But there are always opportunities that make a meeting possible. Who knows, maybe I'll go to lunch in the Curia in the next few days and then the Pope will just sit at the table.

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Cathcon:  I hope he is speaking for himself, trying to bounce the Pope into a terrible decision