Pope Leo XIV’s doctoral dissertation caught the eye of the media — including The New York Times — seeking insight into the thought of the new pontiff shortly after he was elected.

Now it will be easily accessible in print and Kindle editions from The Catholic University of America Press, which has the exclusive English-language rights to publish “The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine.”

The book is scheduled to be published in October, with a foreword by the prominent theologian Dominican Father Thomas Joseph White. He is the rector of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), where the pontiff defended his dissertation in canon law in 1987.

While the future pontiff’s dissertation focuses on the role of the prior as the local superior in the Augustinians, his insights as a young priest in areas such as Church authority, the spiritual life following the way of St. Augustine, and the mission of the priesthood are of interest as they relate to contemporary Church leadership and Church life.

At the center of his reflection are key ideas regarding the common good of the Church, the Eucharistic liturgy at the center of the life of the community, the role of hierarchy and consultation, and mutual respect for the diverse contributions of each person.

Central to the volume is an Augustinian conception of the spiritual life that focuses on the inward work of grace, the primacy of the love of God, and inward conformity to Christ.

Fr. White’s foreword helps frame the work for the wider public interested in understanding the mind and heart of Pope Leo XIV as a young priest, and his thoughts about the life of the Catholic Church. Central themes regarding this, the apostolic tradition, and ecclesial authority in the service of the common good may indicate directions and themes to anticipate from this pontificate.

Additionally, canonists will be drawn to then-Fr. Prevost’s analysis of the Constitutions of the Augustinians in light of the then-newly promulgated Code of Canon Law. Historians and theologians may consider parallels between this Augustinian vision of the prior and the unfolding of an Augustinian pontificate.