Vatican releases biopic on Pope Leo XIV’s early years in Rome

The Vatican has released a new documentary, “ Leone a Roma ,”  about Pope Leo XIV’s early years in Rome before his election to the papacy.

Following its previous documentaries, “ León de Perú ” and “ Leo from Chicago ,”  the documentary premiered July 1 on the Vatican News YouTube channels in English, Italian, and Spanish.

The documentary covers the then-Father Robert Prevost’s nearly two decades in the Eternal City. He first came to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas from 1981 to 1987, served as prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013, and led the Dicastery for Bishops from 2023 to 2025.

Prevost’s trips and fun moments with Augustinians Many of his former Augustinian confreres reminisce about their time with Prevost, particularly their trips with him throughout Italy. Father Giovanni Lenzi, OSA, speaking to Vatican News, reflected on those trips with fondness.

“We went on trips to various parts of Italy, both in Sicily and to the north, up in Trentino, but also to various places where our houses were located, our Augustinian houses in Liguria,” Lenzi told Vatican News.

An early photo of Robert Prevost from the…