Faith, order, and the West: The Augustinian revival in a divided world

On May 8, 2025, the world witnessed the election of Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, as the 267th Bishop of Rome. His ascension followed the sudden death of Pope Francis on April 21. Just days prior, Pope Francis met with JD Vance, the newly appointed Vice President of the United States. While the content of their discussion remains undisclosed, the timing has sparked speculation about a deeper Vatican–American alignment.

The Augustinian connection

Both Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance are shaped by the thought of Saint Augustine of Hippo, the foundational Christian theologian who explored the tension between earthly desires and divine truth. Augustine championed unity, moral order, and the spiritual mission of the Church, principles that underpin both leaders’ worldviews. JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, chose Saint Augustine as his patron. His political philosophy reflects Augustinian priorities: duty, virtue, and the preservation of social cohesion in the face of chaos. Similarly, Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar, has long advocated for theological reflection, ecclesial unity, and communal spirituality rooted in the same tradition.

Echoes of Charlemagne

The resonance between Pope Leo XIV and Pope Leo III who crowned Charlemagne emperor in 800 AD is unmistakable. Charlemagne’s coronation unified Western Christendom. This fusion of political and spiritual authority marked the birth of the Holy Roman Empire.

Today, the Western world faces a different set of existential threats. The rise of atheist communist China challenges the moral and philosophical foundations of liberal democracies. Internally, the Christian West is experiencing increasing fragmentation, as traditional denominational lines blur and ecclesiastical authority wanes. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population in the United States, historically a stronghold of Catholicism, is increasingly gravitating toward Protestantism, a shift that raises concerns due to Protestantism’s lack of centralized authority and doctrinal cohesion. In this context, Catholicism may emerge once again as a potential unifying force offering spiritual, cultural, and institutional coherence at a time when the Western identity is under strain.

Kiev: A symbolic reconciliation?

The Great Schism of 1054 divided the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, with tensions rooted in theological disputes and geopolitical fault lines including in Kiev, a symbolic city at the crossroads of East and West. In the current climate, a peace conference in Kiev could serve dual purposes: It would represent a meaningful step toward reconciliation between the United States and Russia, while simultaneously reopening the door to dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Such a gesture could mark a historic turning point—not just for diplomacy, but for spiritual unity in an increasingly polarized world.

Toward a new spiritual-political alignment?

The convergence of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy and JD Vance’s vice presidency may not herald a literal “Holy Roman Empire,” but it does suggest the emergence of a new spiritual-political axis in the West, one grounded not in conquest or formal structure, but in shared Augustinian ideals: virtue, unity, and moral order. Some may see echoes of the Holy Roman Empire not as a model to be resurrected, but as a metaphor for how religious and political leadership can jointly offer stability in times of fragmentation. In a world facing existential threats from without and disintegration from within, such alignment could serve as a source of cultural coherence and resilience. Whether history is repeating, rhyming, or simply whispering, the outlines of a revitalized Western consciousness anchored in faith and philosophy, are beginning to take shape.