US EditionThe Pope's Doctoral Thesis Drew on St. Augustine's Idea of Religious Authority as Service, Not Power
- Pope Leo XIV, formerly Rev. Robert Prevost, completed his 1985 doctoral thesis on local Augustinian superiors' exercise of authority at Rome's Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
- Prevost wrote the thesis amid Vatican II reforms and the 1983 Code of Canon Law, aiming to clarify authority in religious communities while addressing known abuses.
- His thesis stresses that authority must be a selfless service for the community's good, requiring superiors to respect members' conscience and work consultatively while making final decisions.
- The rector, Rev. Thomas Joseph White, commended Prevost’s thesis for its sophisticated and insightful approach to authority, noting Prevost’s emphasis on Augustine’s view that authority leaves no place for those motivated by selfishness or the desire for power.
- Prevost’s experience leading the Augustinian order and the Vatican’s bishops’ office suggests his canon law formation may influence his papacy amid ongoing concerns over authority abuse.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Associated Press News
The pope's doctoral thesis drew on St. Augustine's idea of religious authority as service, not power
The Rev. Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, wrote his doctoral thesis on the way local Augustinian superiors exercise authority.
Future Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral thesis offers clues to his pontificate
Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White reads the thesis of then-Father Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, titled “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine,” which Prevost wrote while a student at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in the early 1980s. / Credit: Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Vatican City, May 15, 2025 / 13:25 pm (CNA). Pope Leo XIV earned his doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Th…
Future Pope Leo XIV’s Doctoral Thesis Offers Clues to His Pontificate
Zofia Czubak/EWTN News Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White reads the thesis of then-Father Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, titled “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine,” which Prevost wrote while a student at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in the early 1980s. According to Father White, Father Prevost’s thesis has a vision that could be extended beyond the Augustinian rule and the role of the order’s pr…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources lean Left
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
