Habemus Papam!
Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, Ill., was elected the 267th successor of Saint Peter. He took the name Pope Leo XIV.
One of Pope Leo XIV’s brothers, John Prevost, spoke with Alex Perez of ABC News about the moment he learned his brother was elected pope, and what he expects from his Papacy.
He also let viewers in on a touching story from their shared childhood.
When asked how he felt shortly after the news broke, Prevost mentioned that the news hadn't fully sunk in due to the stream of phone calls, emails, messages, and interviews.
“It’s kind of surreal,” he said.
John Prevost spoke to his brother, former Cardinal Robert Prevost, on Tuesday before the conclave began. He said that his brother, now Pope Leo XIV, assured him that he was not in the running. When the white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney on May 8, John Prevost turned on his television to await the formal announcement.
Initially, he admits, he felt a sense of pride. He also notes how awesome it is that Pope Leo XVI is the first American pope and a relative. He went on to say that he did not expect this outcome. Like many Americans, he believed there would never be a Pope from America.
Referring to his brother, Prevost says he is a “regular, run-of-the-mill person.”
He also shed light on their childhood in the South Side of Chicago. Pope Leo XIV grew up in the southern suburb of Dolton.
“Growing up, as kids, we were just regular kids,” he says.
Then, he tells the story of a woman in their neighborhood predicting this very moment in history!
When Pope Leo XIV was in first grade, a woman in their neighborhood said he would be the first American pope.
“In first grade, they said that!” Prevost gushed regarding the prediction.
Due to Pope Leo XIV’s history of missionary work, his brother suspects that he will focus on the disenfranchised and the poor, similar to his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Below is the full interview with Pope Leo XIV's brother:
According to Catholic News Agency,
“Prevost, 69, was born on Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago. He is of Italian, French, and Spanish descent. He studied at an Augustinian minor seminary in Michigan and later earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania.”
Prayer for Pope Leo XIV
Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he, as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ, build your Church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world. Amen.
V/ Let us pray for the Pope. R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies. V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant. R/ And upon your son, whom you have anointed. Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be …