Ángel Camino, Agustino Friend of Leo XIV: It will not be a clone of Pope Francis

Fr. Ángel Camino, Agustino, friend of Pope Leo XIV, for a quarter of a century, shares his impressions on how his pontificate can develop from his personal qualities.

When Robert Prevost was chosen the superior general of the Order of San Agustín, Fr. Camino and he forged an epistolary relationship about Augustinian spirituality that has later remained in time, to the point that, in one of his visits to Madrid, he went to know the pastoral work that the Spanish developed then.

After attending the inauguration mass and to be able to greet the new Pontiff in person, Fr. Camino receives ACI Press in Vicaría VIII of the Archdiocese of Madrid, for which he is responsible, remembering how, after concluding the mandate as superior general, Pope Francis presided over his Eucharist of the beginning of the course: “There we all perceived the relationship that Pope Francis had with the then Robert Prev.”

This is not an obstacle, however, so that Fr. Camino recognized that “a month ago Robert Prevost did not enter any pool.” Only during the general congregations began to grant a certain consensus among the cardinals “because they saw that it was the man who could unite already others.”

“He has felt very free when dressing, when it comes to staying. Therefore, he is not going to be conditioned. He will not be a clone of Pope Francis. He is going to be. He has that conscience,” says the presbyter.

A Pope who will face the controversial issues

Beyond the similarities or differences with his predecessor, Fr. Camino, asked about how some of the issues that have generated more dissent in the previous pontificate will address, such as the declaration, such as the declaration Confidence in supplicating about pastoral blessings to people in an irregular situation.

“What are you going to do?

Valley of the Fallen

Another controversy of special relevance in Spain is that aroused following the agreement reached between the Holy See and the Government of Spain on the so -called “resignification” of the monumental team of the Valley of the Fallen, where thousands of dead rest of both sides of the Spanish Civil War, including martyrs.

Could something change the fact that being superior general, visiting the place in 2003? In the opinion of P. Camino, “at all.”

“He is a man who is going to be linked to what the bishops say. He knows him, but he will be listening to the steps that are going to be giving (…) he will have his thoughts, but he will be guided a little for what our bishops say and then, if you have to pronounce, it is always, in unity with everyone,” he explains.

This is not an obstacle, he adds, so that the Pope is receptive to the voices that reject the government’s plan and the agreement with the Holy See: “He will receive everyone, he will welcome, he will hear a lot. (…) who know that they have a Pope who will listen to” and will do it “calmly and serenity.”

“A man of God”

Asked about the most significant details of the personality of the new Pontiff, Fr. Camino, who sometimes speaks of Leo XIV naturally using his name of Spanish battery, points first that before being Pope, “Roberto was the man of God. But not a God in the spiritualist sense of the word, but a person who had consecrated himself, who knew what the consecrated life was, who was in love with his vocation.

To this we must add that, at the same time, Leo XIV is serene and balanced: “I have never seen that he has raised his voice,” explains Fr. Camino, who praises the ability to work throughout the day of the Augustinian pontiff, which did not prevent him from offering moments to build community: “He fostered at the time of the community to participate, to be able to talk. And, at night, he took a refreshment.

It also highlights “normality, how close it was to the people” and its portentous photographic memory: “Wherever it happened, I knew each one by name.”

The yes to the pontificate: “It has been thrown into the pool”

When Pope Leo XIV came to the central lodge of San Pedro on May 8 after his choice, no one went unnoticed that he had written his first words to the faithful as the new bishop of Rome, which denotes that he is a reflexive person, who does not improvise.

The P. Camino considers that Leo XIV has very marked “the gift of discernment” that, in his opinion, is not so common: “He will let himself be advised, he will listen to people and, listening, will make decisions.”

“He doesn’t improvise. He thinks, reflects” and then makes decisions. He says yes and says no, ”he adds. In this sense, he emphasizes that when he agreed to assume the pontificate it was with all the consequences:” He knew perfectly what it means to say yes and has thrown himself into the pool. “

Identification with everyone

As the result of the Augustinian spirit of the Unity, the P. Camino also points out a feature that will characterize the Pontificate of Leo XIV and that is related to its origin and multicultural identity.

American Birth, with European roots (French, Italian, Spanish), a very strong Spanish -American linkage, religious vocation, missionary performance and experience in the curia.

“This is a privilege of few people,” summarizes the Augustinian priest, who remembers that, as general, the Pope visited at least the 50 countries in which the order of St. Augustine has a presence on all continents.

But they were not, he says, mere trips of pleasure, which illustrates with an anecdote when he went to the different communities of Chiclayo, where there is a variety of dialects: “He tried to each village where he was going, to be interested in how he spoke to identify as much as possible with that people.”

“We are going to see that reflected in all countries” that visits León XIV, says Fr. Camino, because “it will be the universal man with everyone and is going to approach. (…) He wants communion and is going to be reflected in the sense that he is not going to close anything, he will listen to everyone.”

“I think everyone, believers and non -believers will feel very comfortable with this Pope, who as motto carries the unity on his shield,” he concludes.