During his upcoming six-day visit to Spain, Pope Leo XIV will return to a country for which he holds a deep personal affection. The Pontiff is linked to this land by family roots, personal friendships, and the long history of his religious order, the Augustinians, who have sent thousands of missionaries from Spanish shores over the centuries.
Ahead of his six-day trip to Spain, we look at Pope Leo's Galician roots and the Augustinian missionary legacy that built the Church in the Americas.
According to genealogical research, the maternal branch of Leo XIV’s family includes Spanish ancestors from the province of Pontevedra, in Galicia. Thus in a sense, the Pope will be visiting the land of his own origins. “Leo XIV has a special bond with Spain,” his friend Father Alejandro Moral Anton told I.Media. Fr. Moral Anton worked with the Pope for 12 years as vicar general and counselor of the Order of St. Augustine while the Pontiff served as prior general from 2001 to 2013.
Personal ties and a love for the Basque Country
According to this priest who accompanied the future pope on numerous trips throughout Spain, Leo XIV’s affection for the country dates back to his youth. As a student in Rome, Robert Prevost spent vacations in the Basque Country. “He formed very strong friendships in the country. Even when he was Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and had to travel to Rome, he would stop for a day in Madrid just to see his friends,” Fr. Moral Anton says.
“He feels a proximity, a friendship for Spain; this bond was important and certainly contributed to him being a very open person,” adds the former prior general, who succeeded Fr. Prevost and served from 2013 to 2025. He then adds, “But he feels at home elsewhere as well. He’s someone who knows how to give thanks for all the gifts received wherever he goes, regardless of the country.”
The legacy of Spanish Augustinian missionaries
This personal connection of Robert Prevost with Spain is intertwined with the history of his religious order. While the Order of St. Augustine was founded in Italy in 1244, Spain has played a crucial role in it throughout the centuries. “From Spain, countless missionaries set out for Latin America: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Panama, the Antilles, Argentina...” Fr. Moral Anton explains.
“Almost all the circumscriptions [Church administrative areas like dioceses, Ed.] created in Latin America were born from the missionary provinces of Spain, as were many houses in the Philippines, India, and Tanzania,” he adds. In Valladolid, the Royal College of the Augustinian Fathers can boast of more than 2,000 missionaries sent to Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.
Today, Spain remains the country with the largest number of Augustinian friars in the world, with about 30 communities. The religious are particularly active in education, running more than 15 schools serving nearly 30,000 students across the country. “Although the number of friars has decreased with the decline in vocations, the Augustinians’ educational mission remains very important,” Fr. Moral Anton says.
As Prior General of the Augustinians, the former Fr. Robert Prevost visited Spain at least 30 times. “He had to preside over the ordinary chapters of the four provinces [now merged into one, Ed.] at least once a year and also visited for commemorations or special events,” the former prior explains.
A message of hope for a changing nation
According to Fr. Moral Anton, this strong bond explains the Pontiff’s decision to spend six days in Spain — compared, for example, to the four days scheduled for his visit to France this coming September.
“I think he’s very aware of Spain’s historical mission in Latin America and its continued importance across the Atlantic today,” he notes. “Beyond the historical criticisms [of colonization, Ed.], Spain is deeply united with Latin America. The Pope knows this and wants to highlight this past and thank Spain for preaching the Gospel in the New World.”
In October, for example, the feast day of Spain's patroness, Our Lady of the Pillar, is also celebrated as the Día de la Hispanidad, and the cultural and especially religious link between Spain and Latin America is celebrated. Across Spain, prayers are made for Latin American countries.
Leo XIV “also wants to transmit hope,” the former prior continues, arguing that Spain’s spiritual core remains “very much alive” despite secularization. “Over the last five years, the number of young people approaching the Church has increased,” he says. A recent survey by the SM Foundation (Fundación Santa María) shows the proportion of young Spaniards identifying as Catholic rose from 31.6% to 45% in five years. “The Pope wants to come and meet us, to speak a word of hope to us, to help us find or rediscover faith and a sense of purpose in life,” he concludes.
