Speaking in Rome to journalists, a day after the conclave elected the new Pope, Américo Aguiar reflected on the “days of sharing the experiences he had in Portugal” with a person who is “low profile, very discreet, very affable,” attributed to his diverse human heritage.
“I brought the World Youth Day rosaries and offered them to the Pope, asked him to bless them, and presented them as a gift,” explained the Bishop of Setúbal, who coordinated the worldwide youth assembly in Lisbon, attended by the then Cardinal Prevost.
“He was surprised but already accustomed to such gestures from me,” he said with a smile.
Father João Silva, of the Order of Saint Augustine, which is also the order of the newly elected Pope, stated today that the new leader of the Catholic Church has visited Portugal more than once.
“He is closely connected to the Portuguese reality” and is familiar with the faith of the Portuguese people in Fatima, said Father João Silva on SIC Notícias.
He recalled that Leo XIV visited Portugal when he was the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, a renewal visit that is part of the duties of the Priors General.
“Thus, he is also close to the Portuguese reality,” he said, adding that during World Youth Day, he was in Portugal as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops since April 12, 2023.
“He always stayed very close to Pope Francis, so he is certainly not unfamiliar with the experience of Portuguese faith and love for Our Lady,” he commented.
Born in Chicago, United States, the new Pope has Spanish ancestry and Peruvian nationality and belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine.
Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.
