Emotion in La Vega for the election of Pope Leo XIV
The Augustinian community of the Dominican Republic, particularly in La Vega, celebrates the election of the new Pope Leo XIV. Fray Óscar Jiménez Portes (OSA), director of the Colegio Agustiniano, shares his memories of a personal relationship with the now Supreme Pontiff.
Friar Óscar recounts having met Pope Leo XIV in 1997 in Trujillo, Peru, when the latter was a formator of Augustinian theologians and he, a novice in Lima. Subsequently, they met again in the United States.
“I met him again in Chicago, I was finishing theology to take an English course, and he was the provincial of the Augustinians of Chicago,” he recalls.
Beyond religious and academic gatherings, they shared everyday moments.
“He was the one who received me, took me to see the Augustinian house in Chicago, we even went to see a baseball game, it was the first time I went to a Major League stadium. He is a fan of the Chicago White Sox,” said Friar Óscar.
Friar Óscar Jiménez Portes (OSA)
Friar Óscar describes Pope Leo XIV as a serene, balanced, approachable, and deeply human person.
From La Vega, Fray Óscar expresses his confidence that the Church is in good hands.
