Viral Photo Reveals Pope Leo XIV's Early Identity

1:05 PM ETDeveloping

Faith Desk

In Short: Aleteia is sharing images from Pope Leo XIV's early life, offering a glimpse into the future pontiff's identity as a young Augustinian prior.

Aleteia is marking the final weeks before the launch of their upcoming book, 'American Pope: Leo XIV's Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City,' with images and stories from Pope Leo XIV's earlier life.

One such image, shared on social media, shows Pope Leo XIV as a young Augustinian prior participating in an exercise where he drew a painting portraying his identity.

The book, set to be published in a month, promises to be filled with new information about Pope Leo XIV, including little-known stories and images from his earlier life.

What's still developing

Scott Detrow, co-host of NPR’s All Things Considered, and Daniel Burke, NPR’s Senior Editor of Religion and Spirituality, are working on a forthcoming book called American Pope: Leo XIV's Road from the South Side of Chicago to Vatican City.
In a post on Substack, Scott Detrow explained the story behind the images: “American Pope” publishes exactly a month from today.
Here’s how Pope Leo XIV once told his own story.
A photo of a younger Pope Leo XIV, back when he was Fr.
The image is a fascinating glimpse into how the future pope saw himself.
Speaking in English after praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 13, the pope recalled the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which was observed two days earlier.
Reflecting on Peter’s question to Jesus about how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him, the pope noted that Peter’s suggestion of seven times already indicated abundance, since the number seven symbolizes fullness in Scripture.
“All things are given to us by God out of pure love, and none of us can claim to be perfect in responding to such goodness. For this reason, gratuitousness — which is the source of our existence — is also the best rule for our life together,” the pope said.

Sources

Aleteialink