In brief
In a heartfelt reflection, Louis Prevost, elder brother of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, shares nostalgic memories of their childhood and hints at the potential leadership style of his sibling.
As children growing up in Dolton, Illinois, the future Pope Leo XIV did not engage in rough-and-tumble games like cowboys or bank robbers; rather, he was drawn to play priest, as fondly recounted by his eldest brother, Louis Prevost. “We always joked about him becoming Pope,” Mr. Prevost said during a recent interview at his porch in Port Charlotte, Florida. Now, with Robert Francis Prevost, widely known as Rob, officially elected as the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Mr. Prevost finds himself in awe. “My brother’s the pope,” he exclaimed, still processing the reality.Three brothers—Louis, Rob, and John—were raised in the close-knit environment of a suburb south of Chicago, attending church and school at St. Mary of the Assumption. Their father, Louis, served as a school superintendent, while their mother, Mildred Prevost, dedicated her time as a librarian. Louis reminisced about Rob's inclination towards peacemaking, even amid their playful childhood tussles. “Yesterday, it feels like I was throwing him down the stairs, and now he’s pope!” he noted, showcasing the brotherly bond that remains strong despite their different perspectives in life.Speculating about Rob's potential papacy, Mr. Prevost posited that his brother may align closely with the approaches of Pope Francis but hinted that he could embrace a slightly more conservative stance. He reflects on their diverging views regarding conflict, revealing, “I’m not as pacifistic as him. If you come at me, you will feel it.” Despite these differences, he takes pride in his brother's mission.Noting the stark transition from brotherly calls to papal conversations, Louis humorously remarked about the challenge of contacting the pope directly, likening it to reaching out to the president. “I don’t expect we’ll see the Popemobile pulling up outside,” he quipped, yet he remains confident in Rob’s capability to lead, declaring, “He’ll do a bang-up job.” As Pope Leo XIV embarks on his role, family and supporters alike eagerly anticipate his contributions to the Catholic Church and beyond.
