Pope Leo XIV reportedly enjoyed “playing priest” during his childhood, as shared by his brother, who expressed immense pride in his sibling, now the new pontiff.
Yesterday, Robert Francis Prevost, born in Chicago, was elected by his fellow cardinals to lead the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide after a secret conclave held in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.
John Prevost mentioned to journalists in Chicago that a neighbor once predicted Robert would be “the first American Pope” when they were kids.
“He transformed our mom’s ironing board into an altar, draping it with a tablecloth, and insisted we attend mass,” Mr. Prevost recalled.
“It wasn’t a joke. He was completely serious about it.”
He recounted how he was speaking with his niece when the white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. He stated he couldn’t believe it when his brother appeared on the balcony as the new Pope.
“When we heard our name announced, she screamed, and I was like… oh my goodness, this is real,” he noted.
“We listened and watched the crowd, absorbing his speeches, though he spoke mostly in Spanish and Italian, so we didn’t grasp everything. Subtitles were helpful, but my phone, the iPad—everything went dark all at once.”
Mr. Prevost expressed that his brother, being “young to be a Pope,” is active and will certainly be “traveling and sharing his views.”
“It’s difficult to express. How could anyone be prouder of someone who is not just the Pope but the first American Pope?”
“The first Pope from Chicago, and he’s my brother.”
