The Libreria Editrice Vaticana published on May 4 the book Libres bajo la gracia. En la escuela de San Agustín frente a los desafíos de la historia, a compilation of writings by Robert Francis Prevost during his time as Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine between 2001 and 2013.
A volume with the writings of Leo XIV before his pontificate
The book brings together for the first time speeches, homilies, letters, and messages from the current Pope Leo XIV corresponding to his service at the head of the Augustinians, which allows access to his thought and spiritual formation before his election as Pontiff.
The work has been edited by Father Rocco Ronzani, prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, along with the Augustinians Miguel Ángel Martín Juárez and Michael Di Gregorio. The initiative has been promoted by Father Joseph Farrell, current Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine.
An approach to his Augustinian spirituality
According to the Vatican publisher, the volume offers a vision of the spirituality and pastoral approach of Leo XIV, with special attention to the tradition of St. Augustine and its application to the challenges of the contemporary world.
The publication allows direct knowledge of the intellectual and spiritual journey of the current Pontiff through texts elaborated during more than a decade of governance in the order.
An unpublished and unusual book in the Vatican
The publication of theological writings prior to the election of a Pope is a rare occurrence. Usually, this type of text remains in the personal or academic sphere of the author and is not the subject of an official edition after his arrival at the pontificate.
In this case, the volume collects materials that until now remained unpublished and that were drafted during his time as Augustinian superior, when he signed as Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A., thus offering a documentary basis for understanding the evolution of his thought, without constituting documents of the pontifical magisterium.
International dissemination underway
The book will be translated into several languages in the coming months and its publication is planned in nearly 30 countries. The work had already been announced by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana during the Frankfurt International Book Fair in October 2025.
Official presentation in Rome
The volume will be presented on Wednesday at the Pontifical Augustinian Patristic Institute in Rome. The event will feature Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State; Father Joseph Farrell; Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication; the writer Maria Grazia Calandrone; and Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Vatican media.