Exclusive: Inside Pope Leo’s residence: names and nationalities of Augustinians confirmed

Niwa Limbu • September 9, 2025

The Catholic Herald can exclusively reveal the names of the Augustinian friars said to be living alongside Pope Leo XIV in the papal residence, after weeks of speculation in the Italian press.

On 20 August, The Catholic Herald reported claims carried by La Repubblica suggesting that three or four Augustinians were set to share the papal residence with the newly elected Pontiff. According to those reports, the plan was to form a small community of friars at the heart of the Apostolic Palace, with Father Edgard Rimaycuna, the Pope’s Peruvian personal secretary, among those expected to join the household.

Initial speculation suggested that the candidates were likely to include a Filipino, an Italian, and a Nigerian, already known to be serving in the papal apartments.

Following an extensive investigation in Rome, The Catholic Herald can now name the friars concerned.

All three are members of the Addetti alla Sagrestia Pontificia, the Augustinian friars who traditionally oversee the Pontifical Sacristy and serve the papal chapels.

They are:
Rev. P. Bruno Silvestrini, O.S.A., Custode del Sacrario Apostolico (Italian);
Rev. P. Jubanie Rey Baller, O.S.A. (Filipino); and
Rev. P. Augustine Chukwuma Ugbomah, O.S.A. (Nigerian).

However, the story took a new turn when one of the friars named, Fr Jubanie Rey Baller, O.S.A., publicly denied suggestions that Pope Leo XIV intended to bring a new Augustinian household into the palace. Writing on his social media accounts, Fr Baller dismissed the La Repubblica report as “totally fake news.”

In a clarification issued via Facebook, he stated: “The Pope will not move to the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace with some Augustinians. There is news circulating online that Pope Leo XIV will live at the papal palace with a community of religious from the Order of St Augustine (O.S.A.).”

He went on to say: “As of this moment, there are three Augustinians living in the prima loggia of the Palazzo Apostolico (an Italian, a Nigerian, and I myself, a Filipino). Ever since time immemorial, the Augustinians have always had a convent in the papal palace. They have officially been in charge of the Pontifical Sacristy and the papal chapels of the Apostolic Palace since the 13th century.”

While Fr Baller has firmly rejected the notion of a new “flatshare” arrangement for the Pope, his confirmation of the national identities of the friars—Filipino, Italian, and Nigerian—corroborates the substance of The Catholic Herald’s investigation.

A statement from His Holiness himself would be required to put these rumours definitively to rest. While the testimony of those already serving in the Apostolic Palace has clarified the long-standing presence of Augustinians within the papal residence, only the Pope’s direct confirmation can settle the question of whether a new community has been invited to live alongside him.

For now, the exact living arrangements of Pope Leo XIV remain subject to speculation, as he is currently living in the Palace of the Holy Office. What is beyond doubt is that the Augustinian presence in the Apostolic Palace continues as it has for centuries.