"The Pope has friendships in Madrid and used to come here a lot," recalls Prior Argimiro Martínez Fuertes from San Agustín School in Madrid. This educational center, located on a hill on Padre Damián street, overlooking the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, was for years the home of the then superior general of the Augustinians, now Pope, Robert Prevost, during his stays in the city.
Martínez points out that the Pope visited the school "about six or seven times," during which he was "a member of our community": "He lived a normal life, spent his days with us, and was a man who listened a lot and sought unity among differing opinions," he asserts.
The now Pope León XIV, Robert Francis Prevost Martínez, an Augustinian born in Chicago in 1955, has become the new Pontiff after an unexpectedly brief conclave and, for many, surprising. Although born American, his profile is marked by a constant and deep relationship with Spain and Latin America. This influence helps to understand part of his extensive trajectory.
At the Augustinian school located near Real Madrid's stadium, they remember the Supreme Pontiff as the archetype of a wise man of few words. An attentive man, without eccentricities, who listened more than he spoke and, despite the brevity of his frequent visits, easily integrated into school dynamics. "He knew everyone's name, called them by their name, always paid attention, and got involved in school activities in which mothers of the students participated," sources from the educational center indicate.
These mothers, who often also studied at this school - or at other nearby Augustinian schools - and had the same priests as teachers who now teach their children at this institute with a strong family tradition. Additionally, it is considered one of the best in Spain, according to EL MUNDO's ranking, where the country's future elites are educated.
For twelve years, Prevost was the superior general of the Augustinians, which led him to travel the world. Spain was no exception: "He visited each and every one of the Order's houses, spoke with each friar, and lived a normal life when he resided in our communities," explains Father Ildefonso Trigueros, director of San Agustín School in Madrid. "He ate with us, and was a man who listened a lot and sought to unite. Very Hispanic, very much one of us," the priest describes him.
The sense of identification and belonging of the school with the new Pope is such that the white smoke of León XIV was celebrated at San Agustín School with a fervor similar to that of goals at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. "We said that if he was chosen, we would ring the bell and organize a prayer in the chapel," the prior affirms. "So," continues the director, "we rang the bell, went to pray, and celebrated a small gathering among the 17 brothers who live here."
This "very much one of us" condition appears repeatedly in the testimonies collected about Prevost, whose second surname is Martínez and who speaks Spanish fluently - without a Yankee accent - thanks to his family background and his trajectory in the Church. "He speaks like us. He has a barely noticeable accent. And that's despite spending years in Peru and working with communities throughout Latin America," says the prior of the Madrid school. "During his visits, he talked to us about the situation of our Augustinian brothers in Tanzania, the Philippines, and Europe... and he shared what he could, but there were other things he couldn't disclose," recounts the school director.
One of the most striking aspects when asking about the new Pope León XIV is that no one who knew him associates him with quirks, eccentric behaviors, or peculiarities. "He was a very normal man. With simple habits. Always friendly. Never objected," summarizes Ildefonso Trigueros.
This discretion and simplicity are constants in his description. "His presence was silent but very attentive. He listens. Unites. He has that vocation to create unity in diversity," insists Father Argimiro about his multiple contacts with the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
Lawyers Carlos Peña and Alfonso Codes posing with Robert Prevost in a church in Rome in February of this year.E.M.
Meanwhile, Spanish lawyer Carlos Peña and his colleague Alfonso Codes paint the image of the new Pope as a approachable man with a sense of humor. They met him at the Andrea della Valle church in Rome. "He listened to us speaking in Spanish and came over to chat with us. He was with a group of American deacons who were visiting the temple," the lawyers recount.
Therefore, they say, on Tuesday they watched the white smoke on the TV at their law firm: "When they heard the protodeacon say 'Robertus,' we said: "It's ours!," and remembered their conversation in the Italian city less than three months ago.
"What are you doing here?" the lawyers asked. "I am the President of the Dicastery for Bishops," Prevost replied. "Well, you must have a lot of authority!," they exclaimed, causing laughter from this religious man, who became the heir of Saint Peter, the Supreme Pontiff of the Church, and the head of the Vatican State last Thursday.