The brother of Robert Prevost, newly elected Pope Leo XIV, has shared an unexpected childhood story—his brother’s path to the papacy may have been foretold by a neighbor.
“I never thought my brother could be elected pope because I always heard that an American could never be chosen,” said John Prevost, the pontiff’s brother, in an interview with ABC News. But he also recalled a moment from Robert’s early years, when a neighbor in Chicago predicted a future no one imagined at the time: that young Robert, then a first-grader, would one day become pope.
On Thursday, shortly after 7 p.m., that prediction became reality. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new head of the Catholic Church, choosing the name Leo XIV for his papacy. Since then, congratulations have poured in from all corners of the globe.
Pope’s Brother: “I Didn’t Expect It!”
John Prevost, a retired Catholic school principal from Chicago, admitted he was caught off guard by the outcome of the conclave.
“Honestly? I didn’t expect it because I kept hearing that an American could never be pope—just because of politics, because the U.S. already has so much global power, they don’t need to lead the Church as well,” he explained.
Still, just before the conclave, when rumors began circulating that Robert Prevost was among the potential candidates, John told his brother he might actually become the Bishop of Rome. Robert’s response? He dismissed it as “nonsense”—completely incredulous. “He just didn’t believe it, or maybe didn’t want to believe it,” John added.
He noted that Robert had known from a young age that he wanted to become a priest, and the idea of becoming pope was something their neighbor had oddly foretold back in his elementary school days.
A Pope in the Spirit of Francis?
Asked what kind of person Leo XIV is, John Prevost described him as “down to earth,” and suggested he may follow a path similar to Pope Francis—whom Robert got to know during his time in Argentina.
“I think because he spent so many years doing missionary work in South America, he’ll care for the marginalized. He’ll care for the poor. He’ll care for those who have no voice. So I think he’ll walk in the footsteps of St. Francis—and Pope Francis,” he explained.
In a separate interview with local Chicago station WGN, John also cleared up a minor controversy: despite reports to the contrary, his brother is a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox—not the Cubs.
Another brother, Louis Prevost, who was bedridden with an illness on the day of the election, was just as stunned.
“They started reading the name and when I heard ‘blah, blah, blah, Roberto,’ I knew—it’s Rob,” he told ABC. “I was thankful I was still in bed, because otherwise I would have fallen over,” he laughed. Moments later, he said, he started “dancing like crazy.”
Louis also described the new pope as “a regular guy,” someone who is grounded and “loves being with people.”