# Pope Leo XIV's first book lands in English

> The first American pope's Augustinian reflections, written before the papacy, reach English readers for the first time.
- Title: Pope Leo XIV's first book lands in English · Vaticannews
- Summary: The first American pope's Augustinian reflections, written before the papacy, reach English readers for the first time. Reading Leo XIV's pre-papacy writings…
- Keywords: pope leo xiv, books, catholicism, st augustine, publishing, religion, world, Pope, Leo, XIV's, first, book
- Source: Vaticannews — https://vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-09/pope-leo-xiv-freedom-under-grace-book-release-english.html
- Author: Vatican News
- Published: 2026-09-15T11:52:56.916+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pope leo xiv, books, catholicism, st augustine, publishing, religion, world
## The book goes on sale
"Freedom Under Grace: Reflections on the Spiritual Tradition That Formed Me" hit shelves Tuesday, September 15, in the US, UK, Australia, and across the Commonwealth.
## Augustine, his spiritual father
The collection gathers Leo XIV's reflections on St. Augustine's legacy, the thinking that shaped both his own spirituality and how he sees the world.

> Drawing from the work of St. Augustine, whom he calls his spiritual father
## Why English readers care
He is the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine and the first American pope. English is his mother tongue, so these pages arrive in the language he thinks in.
## Written before the papacy
Penguin Random House pulled together addresses, homilies, and personal writings from Fr. Robert Prevost's years as Prior General, showing the reasoning behind his quiet answers.

> revealing the "why" behind his contemplative responses
## Real events, real time
The future pope responds to the aftermath of 9/11, emerging political ideologies, and how the Church answers poverty and human rights conflicts.

> invites readers to sit at the table, as if in real time
## Colbert reads the homilies
The audiobook opens with homilies and addresses read by Stephen Colbert, with Grammy-nominated narrator Scott Brick handling the main text.
## Key takeaway

Reading Leo XIV's pre-papacy writings shows the Augustinian thinking behind how he now leads the Church.