Child Witnessed Pope Figure in Robert Prevost by Neighbor's Account
Spotlighting the Next ChaplainNeighbor bears witness to Robert Prevost, the future Pope, as a kid
On Thursday evening, the world will behold Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. Meanwhile, his brother John, gazing at the TV screen, is swallowed by a whirl of memories.
The coronation of Robert Francis Prevost as Leo XIV has catapulted John Prevost into a unique fraternity — the brother of the Pope. This turn of events surprises yet somehow resonates with John, who speaks with ABC News outside their home in New Lenox, Illinois. The three brothers, with John in the middle, also have an older brother, Louis.
"He had a predestined sense about it," John reveals about his brother's religious path. Even as a child, Pope Leo XIV emulated the sacred mantle, transforming their mother's ironing board into an altar, where they attended makeshift masses. His devotion ran deep, as he recited prayers in both Latin and English fluently.
Scope: Shattering StereotypesHistorian's Take: A Politically Engaged Pope Leo XIVA neighbor who lived on the same street as the Prevost family once prophesied that Robert would be the first American Pope. Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost immerse himself in the Augustinians' small seminary in St. Louis. Later, he graduated from Villanova University in Philadelphia, an Augustinian institution, with a degree in mathematics. After obtaining his theology degree in Chicago and a doctorate in canon law in Rome, he journeyed to the Augustinians in Peru in 1985.
"Struggled to Accept"
John Prevost claims their last conversation happened on Tuesday, the day cardinals retreated for the secret conclave. Inseparable since childhood, the brothers still share daily phone conversations. Intriguingly, John was the one who hinted at his brother's possible elevation. His younger brother brushed it off as "hogwash" and "idle talk," claiming the officials would never choose an American Pope. "He just didn't believe it, or perhaps he didn't wish to believe it," John recalls.
Scope: From missionary to popePope Leo XIV: A Combination of RolesWhen his brother emerged onto St. Peter's Square as the newly crowned Pope Leo XIV, John watched the spectacle on TV. "I learned about the white smoke emanating from the Roman chimney and rushed to turn on the TV," John narrates to the Associated Press. Overwhelmed but proud of his brother's triumph, John expresses his pride.
When queried about the kind of Pope his brother would be, John shared his feelings with the AP, "I believe he carries a deep concern for the downtrodden, voiceless, and impoverished." On Friday, John has plans to travel to Rome to participate in the Vatican festivities. Then, he will reunite with his brother: as Pope Leo XIV.
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- Enrichment Data:Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. Of French and Italian ancestry, he followed a distinctive religious path. Prevost joined the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977, becoming a full member in 1981. His educational journey led him to earn degrees in mathematics, divinity, and canon law from various prestigious institutions. Ordained as a priest in 1982, Prevost's career boasts pastoral, academic, and leadership roles within the Augustinian order, as well as in Peru and at the Vatican. His significant accomplishments include service as the apostolic administrator and bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In 2023, Prevost was elevated to the College of Cardinals and eventually elected as the 267th Pope on May 8, 2025, taking the name Leo XIV. His episcopal motto is In illo uno unum ("In the one [Christ we are] one"), mirroring Pope Francis' themes of mission, synodality, peace, justice, and charity.
- The European Union and the United States may soon have a new point of interest, as Robert Prevost, the future Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- Despite initially dismissing the possibility, John Prevost, the brother of Pope Leo XIV, now admit to hinting at his brother's potential elevation.
- Entertainment celebrities and pop-culture enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the entertainment aspect of the coronation of Pope Leo XIV, especially given his young age as the youngest pope in recent history.
- The papal transition from missionary work to the papacy has placed Pope Leo XIV in a unique position, especially when audiences consider his unusual journey from a makeshift altar in his mother's home to the Vatican.
