Virtue scores
Review
**About the Book** Matthew Becklo presents an intimate portrait of Pope Leo XIV through the lens of his deep spiritual relationship with Saint Augustine. Drawing from the Pope's doctoral dissertation, original Spanish translations, rare forewords, and early papal audiences, this collection reveals how Augustine's life, thought, and spirituality have shaped Robert Prevost from his early formation through his election to the papacy. The book serves as both biography and spiritual theology, offering readers insight into the mind and heart of America's first pope through his own reflections on the great Doctor of the Church. Enhanced with a timeline of Prevost's life, the complete text of The Rule of Saint Augustine, and a foreword by Sister Margaret Atkins, this work provides an accessible yet profound introduction to a thoroughly Augustinian pontiff. **CCMMP Analysis** - **Created**: The book affirms the fundamental dignity of intellectual and spiritual formation, showing how authentic mentorship and theological study can shape a person's entire vocation and leadership capacity. - **Fallen**: Through Augustine's own journey from worldliness to sanctity, the work acknowledges the reality of human struggle and the need for ongoing conversion in both personal life and pastoral ministry. - **Redeemed**: The progression from formation to papal leadership demonstrates how grace works through tradition, community, and spiritual fathers to transform individuals into instruments of God's mercy for the universal Church. - **Prudence-Memory**: The collection emphasizes how learning from Augustine's experience and wisdom provides practical guidance for contemporary Church leadership and spiritual growth.