Vatican City — In a historic nod to North African Amazigh heritage, the newly elected Pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost, has declared himself “a child of St. Augustine,” drawing a direct spiritual lineage to Saint Augustine of Hippo — one of Christianity’s most influential thinkers and a Romanized Amazigh from North Africa.
The Pope’s tribute marks a rare and powerful acknowledgment of Africa’s deep imprint on the foundations of the Church. Saint Augustine, born in 354 in what is now Algeria, served as the Bishop of Hippo (modern-day Annaba city) for 35 years. His philosophical and theological works, including Confessions and The City of God, continue to shape Christian doctrine and the global Church.
“Augustine was not only a father of the Church but a son of the African soil,” the Pope said in his first address, adding that the saint’s life and legacy remain “a wellspring of wisdom, humility, and faith.”
Augustine’s Amazigh identity, often overlooked in mainstream accounts, is now receiving renewed global attention through the Pope’s homage. The Augustinian tradition, rooted in the saint’s teachings, continues to influence Catholic monastic life and theological study across the world.
This symbolic gesture signals a broader recognition of Christianity’s African foundations and the enduring spiritual contributions of the Amazigh people, the native people of North Africa.
