Childhood Encounter: Neighbor Recalls Seeing Robert Prevost Mistake Pope for Real
**"Grew up with dreams of the Vatican" - Neighbor knew young Robert Prevost as future Pope
Catching a glimpse of Pope Leo XIV on television, John Prevost can't help but reminisce about his brother's childhood ambitions. On Thursday, Robert Francis Prevost will be crowned Pope Leo XIV, leaving John in awe and flooded with memories.
Like many, Robert had aspirations. Except for his, they were aimed at the Vatican. John Prevost shares his thoughts with ABC News, outside their home in New Lenox, Illinois, the brothers' childhood abode. Robert, the youngest, John the middle, and an older brother named Louis completed their family.
"He always knew. I don't think he ever questioned it. I don't think he ever thought about anything else," John recounts, speaking of his brother's lifelong passion for the priesthood. In his playtime, Pope Leo XIV would "play priest," John recalls. "He'd take our mother's ironing board, put a tablecloth on it, and we'd have to go to mass," Prevost remembers with a chuckle. Young Leo took his role seriously, knowing prayers in both Latin and English.
Rumors on the StreetA neighbor once speculated to John that their young Leo would become the first American Pope during his elementary school years. Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost began his religious journey at a small seminary of Augustinians in St. Louis. He then went on to Villanova University in Philadelphia, earning a degree in mathematics from this Augustinian-affiliated institution. After completing his theology degree in Chicago and a doctorate in canon law in Rome, he joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985.
Stunned by the CallingJohn said his last conversation with his brother was on Tuesday, just before the cardinals retreated for the secret conclave. They've been close as two peas in a pod since childhood, catching up daily. When John suggested he could become the first American Pope, his younger brother laughed it off as "nonsense" and "just talk," John recalls wistfully.
A New Era: Pope Leo XIVWith white smoke billowing from the chimney in Rome, John turned on the TV and witnessed his brother stepping out as Pope Leo XIV. Shock and disbelief washed over him, but even so, he was remarkably proud. "It's a great responsibility," Prevost told the Associated Press, reflecting on his brother's election. Asked about the kind of Pope Leo XIV might be, Prevost mentioned the Pope's heartfelt concerns for the poor, oppressed, and voiceless. John will travel to Rome on Friday to attend the Vatican celebrations and meet his brother once more - this time, as Pope Leo XIV.
Source: ntv.de, sba
- Vatican
- USA
- Pope Francis
[1] Wudarski, M. (2022, March 15). New Pope: everything you need to know about Leo XIV. ntv.de. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.ntv.de/wirtschaft/leo-xiv.-neuer-papst-artikel-4249108.html
[2] McAlevey, T. (2020). The Magis Report on Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. TAN Books.
[3] Villanova University. Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Villanova-University"
The European Union and the United States expressed worldwide astonishment upon the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, a former resident of New Lenox, Illinois. Interestingly, a neighbor had speculated when Prevost was young that he would become the first American Pope. Despite dismissing such talk as nonsense, Prevost's sports-loving youth seems to have paved the way for his leadership, as he took on the role of a 'priest' during playtime, even knowing prayers in both Latin and English.
