米兰体育

Skip to content
NOWCAST 米兰体育 13 Midday Newscast
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Leo XIV's brother recalls feeling of 'disbelief' over his sibling becoming pope

Leo XIV's brother recalls feeling of 'disbelief' over his sibling becoming pope
I couldn't believe it. It was totally ecstatic. *** an American and be an American that I've known for 35 years. It's incredible. Shock. That was the reaction from Francis Rooney when he watched the white smoke and then saw Robert Prevost emerge from the Vatican as Pope Leo. I'll go see him sometime. The pair have known each other for 35 years from. Oklahoma to Naples to Rome, and as the first American to ever lead the Catholic Church, those close to him believe his American heritage runs deep. And sometimes people would say there would be *** rebound. He would stay away from America because he doesn't want to get pictured as the American pope, but I don't think so. I think he would be excited to continue the work of drawing young people back into the church, which Pope Francis began. As crowds cheered from St. Peter's Square this afternoon, many wonder why Privos chose the name he did. His decades-long friend believes he does have an idea. The previous Pope Leo focused on helping navigate *** trying time during the industrial revolution. Now we have similar dislocations. We have this social media that's changing everybody's lives, some for good, but some for bad. We have new technologies coming every day. Who knows what this AI business is going to do.
AP logo
Updated: 4:51 AM CDT May 9, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
Advertisement
Leo XIV's brother recalls feeling of 'disbelief' over his sibling becoming pope
AP logo
Updated: 4:51 AM CDT May 9, 2025
Editorial Standards 鈸�
When white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel revealing that a new pope had been chosen, John Prevost turned on his television in Illinois, called his niece and they watched in awe as his brother's name was announced.鈥淪he started screaming because it was her uncle and I was in the moment of disbelief that this cannot be possible because it鈥檚 too far from what we thought would happen," Prevost said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press from his home in New Lenox, Illinois.Next, he said he felt an intense sense of pride that his brother, Cardinal Robert Prevost, had become the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic Church, making the Chicago-born missionary the first U.S. pope.鈥淚t鈥檚 quite an honor; it鈥檚 quite a once in a lifetime," he said. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 quite a responsibility and I think it鈥檚 going to lead to bigger and better things, but I think people are going to watch him very closely to see what he鈥檚 doing.鈥漅obert Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order who spent his career ministering in Peru, took the name Leo XIV.John Prevost described his brother as being very concerned for the poor and those who don鈥檛 have a voice. He said he expects him to be a 鈥渟econd Pope Francis.鈥濃淗e鈥檚 not going to be real far left and he鈥檚 not going to be real far right,鈥� he added. 鈥淜ind of right down the middle.鈥滱t one point during the interview, John Prevost realized he had missed several calls from his brother, so he gave the new pope a call back.Leo told him he wasn't interested in being part of the interview and after a brief message of congratulations and discussion in which they talked like any two brothers about travel arrangements, they hung up.The new pope grew up the youngest of three boys. John Prevost, who was only a year older than him, said he remembers Robert Prevost being very good in school as a kid and enjoying playing tag, Monopoly and Risk.From a young age, he said he knew his brother was going to be a priest. Although he didn't expect him to become pope, he recalled a neighbor predicting that very thing when Robert Prevost was only a first grader.鈥淪he sensed that at 6 years old,鈥� he said. "How she did that, who knows. It took this long, but here he is, first American pope.鈥漌hen Robert Prevost graduated eighth grade, he left for seminary school, his brother said.鈥淭here's a whole period there where we didn鈥檛 really grow up together," he said. "It was just on vacations that we had contact together.鈥漈hese days, the brothers talk on the phone every day, John Prevost said. Robert Prevost will call him and they'll discuss everything from politics to religion and even play the day's Wordle.John Prevost said he's not sure how much time his brother will have to talk as the new pope and how they'll handle staying in touch in the future.鈥淚t鈥檚 already strange not having someone to talk to," he said.___Golden reported from Seattle.

When white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel revealing that a new pope had been chosen, John Prevost turned on his television in Illinois, called his niece and they watched in awe as his brother's name was announced.

鈥淪he started screaming because it was her uncle and I was in the moment of disbelief that this cannot be possible because it鈥檚 too far from what we thought would happen," Prevost said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press from his home in New Lenox, Illinois.

Advertisement

Next, he said he felt an intense sense of pride that his brother, Cardinal Robert Prevost, had become the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic Church, making the Chicago-born missionary the first U.S. pope.

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite an honor; it鈥檚 quite a once in a lifetime," he said. 鈥淏ut I think it鈥檚 quite a responsibility and I think it鈥檚 going to lead to bigger and better things, but I think people are going to watch him very closely to see what he鈥檚 doing.鈥�

Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order who spent his career ministering in Peru, took the name Leo XIV.

John Prevost described his brother as being very concerned for the poor and those who don鈥檛 have a voice. He said he expects him to be a 鈥渟econd Pope Francis.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to be real far left and he鈥檚 not going to be real far right,鈥� he added. 鈥淜ind of right down the middle.鈥�

John Prevost points to an old photo of his brothers, including the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, left, during an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in New Lennox, Ill.
AP Photo/Obed Lamy
John Prevost points to an old photo of his brothers, including the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, left, during an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in New Lennox, Ill.

At one point during the interview, John Prevost realized he had missed several calls from his brother, so he gave the new pope a call back.

Leo told him he wasn't interested in being part of the interview and after a brief message of congratulations and discussion in which they talked like any two brothers about travel arrangements, they hung up.

The new pope grew up the youngest of three boys. John Prevost, who was only a year older than him, said he remembers Robert Prevost being very good in school as a kid and enjoying playing tag, Monopoly and Risk.

From a young age, he said he knew his brother was going to be a priest. Although he didn't expect him to become pope, he recalled a neighbor predicting that very thing when Robert Prevost was only a first grader.

鈥淪he sensed that at 6 years old,鈥� he said. "How she did that, who knows. It took this long, but here he is, first American pope.鈥�

When Robert Prevost graduated eighth grade, he left for seminary school, his brother said.

鈥淭here's a whole period there where we didn鈥檛 really grow up together," he said. "It was just on vacations that we had contact together.鈥�

These days, the brothers talk on the phone every day, John Prevost said. Robert Prevost will call him and they'll discuss everything from politics to religion and even play the day's Wordle.

John Prevost said he's not sure how much time his brother will have to talk as the new pope and how they'll handle staying in touch in the future.

鈥淚t鈥檚 already strange not having someone to talk to," he said.

___

Golden reported from Seattle.