Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, wrote his doctoral thesis on the way local Augustinian superiors exercise authority, the university rector said Friday.
It’s an issue that is perhaps newly relevant now that Prevost is the leader of the 1.4-billion strong Catholic Church.
The way religious superiors exercise authority has long been a topic of study for scholars.
The Vatican office not only vets nominations of bishops around the world but also reviews cases of bishops who are accused of abusing their authority.
Prevost would have been at the university, known as the Angelicum, from around 26 to 30 years old.
In an email, he said Prevost underscored that all exercise of authority is meant to be a selfless act of service for the common good.
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