Pope Leo XIV had a joyful encounter with his fellow Augustinians during his apostolic visit to France. Upon recognizing them among the crowd in Paris, the Holy Father reacted with a big smile.
The moment took place on Friday, September 25, when Pope Leo arrived at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. That day, the Holy Father presided over Vespers and became the first pontiff to visit the church after its reconstruction following the 2019 fire.
The video shows that, amid the crowd gathered outside the cathedral, Pope Leo spotted a group of Augustinians. Seeing them, he opened his arms in surprise and, visibly delighted, walked over to greet them.
The spontaneous encounter was recorded by Father Martin Davakan, Assistant General of the Order of Saint Augustine, and was later shared by the order on its Instagram account.
“What happens when you see your friends, your family, in the crowd? You smile! A happy moment with the Augustinian sisters and brothers at Notre-Dame, Paris,” the Augustinians wrote when sharing the footage.
The moment carried special meaning because Pope Leo XIV belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine. With his election as pontiff on May 8, 2025, he became the first Augustinian pope in the history of the Church.
The Holy Father’s spontaneous reaction did not go unnoticed by viewers of the video shared by the Augustinians, who highlighted the joy and warmth he showed upon reconnecting with members of his religious family.
“Oh my God!!! Our beloved Pope Leo XIV is so sweet! That smile of his was so genuine, spontaneous, and truly happy when he saw his Augustinian brothers and sisters! It is exactly the reaction we have when we unexpectedly run into someone from our family! May God bless him endlessly! 🙏🕊️🌹✨️”
“Our Pope’s joy ♥️”
“LONG LIVE THE AUGUSTINIAN SISTERS, AND LONG LIVE THE POPE! 🖤🖤🖤🖤❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥😍😍😍😍”