Pope Leo XIV’s brother reacts to his historic election: ‘There are no words’

The member of the recently elected Pope Leo XIV, who made past by becoming the archetypal American pontiff, shared his "overwhelming" absorption to the quality connected Thursday.

John Prevost told FOX 32 that "there are nary words" to picture however arrogant helium was of his babe brother. 

"It’s overwhelming pride, but it’s besides an overwhelming responsibility, being the archetypal American Pope from Chicago – and a relative. Frightening," Prevost said. 

Prevost said his brother’s way to pope began astatine a young age, having gone consecutive into seminary aft eighth grade.

FIRST AMERICAN ELECTED PONTIFF, GET TO KNOW POPE LEO XIV

L-R: John Prevost speaks with the media; Newly elected Pope Leo XIV.  (WFLD)

"So, the full precocious schoolhouse years, assemblage years, we didn't truly cognize him different than the summertime vacation," helium said.

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Pope Leo XIV, calved Robert Prevost, was a suspected frontrunner to succeed Pope Francis after his passing precocious past month. Prevost said helium had an "inkling" his member was successful the moving aft proceeding his statement connected the radio. 

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025.  (REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

"They were interviewing idiosyncratic connected the radio, and she said determination are 2 apt candidates: One of the Cardinals from the Philippines, and 1 is simply a Cardinal, arsenic a substance of fact, from the Chicago area. He was a missionary successful Peru and present he’s a Cardinal successful Rome," Prevost said. 

But the inkling that large things were successful store for the present pope adjacent went backmost decades earlier. According to Prevost, the boys' puerility neighbors predicted the younger Prevost would beryllium the "first American pope."

"The absorbing happening is mode backmost erstwhile helium was successful kindergarten oregon archetypal grade, determination was a parent, a mom, crossed the thoroughfare — 1 crossed the thoroughfare that mode and different down the street," John Prevost, told WGN connected Thursday. "Both of them said helium would beryllium the archetypal American Pope, astatine that age."

Nuns respond to achromatic fume from the chimney connected the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a caller pope has been elected, astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (Marko Djurica/REUTERS)

Prevost predicts that his member volition apt beryllium "a 2nd Pope Francis." 

"I deliberation helium has a beardown inclination to assistance the poor, the disenfranchised, the radical that don't person a dependable due to the fact that helium spent truthful overmuch clip successful Peru with the radical who were impoverished," Prevost said. "So, I deliberation she sees that request and I deliberation helium volition enactment for that. The religion has to beryllium cosmopolitan and assistance everyone but immoderate radical request a batch much assistance … I don't deliberation helium tin bash anything, but I deliberation migration is large clip connected his mind. He thinks the country's headed successful the incorrect absorption there." 

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Prevost said his member volition person to enactment hard to reunite the Catholic Church, fixed that "so galore radical person gone away" successful caller years.