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Pope Leo XIV (middle), also known as Robert Prevost, along with Augustinian missionaries when he visited the Philippines in 2004.
Archdiocese of Cebu via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The newly elected pope, Leo XIV, previously visited the Philippines while he was still a priest.
In a post on Friday, May 9, the Archdiocese of Cebu said that Pope Leo XIV, then known as Robert Prevost, visited Cebu in 2004 as the Prior General of the Augustinians.
He also blessed the Augustinian Friary in Mohon, Talisay City, according to the archdiocese.
He also visited Intramuros in 2010, where he celebrated Mass at San Agustín Church during the Order of Saint Augustine’s Intermediate General Chapter.
Prevost is the 267th head of the Roman Catholic Church and will lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
He is the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine — commonly known as the Augustinians — and the second pope from the Americas, following Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025.
Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2023.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on the second day of the conclave, with the decision reached on the fourth ballot. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 12:08 a.m. (Manila time).
Three Filipino cardinals—Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Jose Advincula and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David—are among the cardinal-electors in this year's conclave.
