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I Am a Son of Saint Augustine: Pope Leo XIV on His Favorite Saint
104 pages, Paperback
Published February 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 2, 2026
A perfectly pleasant collection of quotes from the Holy Father's previous works. Provides excellent insight into his spiritual foundations as an Augustinian.
March 19, 2026
A fairly light and easy read. The editor used select quotes from Pope Leo XIV's speeches and writings about being an Augustinian and St. Augustine to give the reader an idea of what Pope Leo's orientation is. The title comes from Pope Leo XIV's declaration, "I am a son of Saint Augustine." Hence, Becklo thought it important to explore what that means to Pope Leo in his own words.
There seems to be some repetition of quotes used, so the reader will feel a sense of deja vu by the end of the book, even in spite of its brevity. Also, a reader not already deeply steeped in Pope Leo's communications about the Augustinian order and its founder will have to trust that Becklo provided us a representative, fair, and relevant sampling. I found nothing that raised my suspicions or caused me to doubt Becklo, but then again, Cardinal Robert Provost was not one to whom I had paid much attention prior to his elevation to Pope Leo XIV. Contrast this with, say, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with whom I was reasonably familiar prior to his elevation to Pope Benedict XVI.
Anyway, it's mildly illuminating and inspiring. I felt it gave me a small window in the new Pope's thinking and background, but I am not walking away considering myself an expert or deeply or intimately familiar with him. For the curious, it is worth the short time required to read, but if your curiosity is especially hungry, you will definitely need to add other titles. A good read.
There seems to be some repetition of quotes used, so the reader will feel a sense of deja vu by the end of the book, even in spite of its brevity. Also, a reader not already deeply steeped in Pope Leo's communications about the Augustinian order and its founder will have to trust that Becklo provided us a representative, fair, and relevant sampling. I found nothing that raised my suspicions or caused me to doubt Becklo, but then again, Cardinal Robert Provost was not one to whom I had paid much attention prior to his elevation to Pope Leo XIV. Contrast this with, say, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with whom I was reasonably familiar prior to his elevation to Pope Benedict XVI.
Anyway, it's mildly illuminating and inspiring. I felt it gave me a small window in the new Pope's thinking and background, but I am not walking away considering myself an expert or deeply or intimately familiar with him. For the curious, it is worth the short time required to read, but if your curiosity is especially hungry, you will definitely need to add other titles. A good read.
April 16, 2026
A wonderful book of nuggets from the Holy Father.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews