When white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope, John Prevost turned on his TV in Illinois and called his niece to watch in amazement as his brother’s name was announced.
“She started screaming because it was her uncle, and I was just in disbelief,” John recalled during an interview from his home in New Lenox, Illinois. “It’s just so unexpected; it’s hard to believe.”
Soon after, John felt immense pride as he learned his brother, Cardinal Robert Prevost, had become the 267th pope of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary made history as the first American pope.
“It’s a huge honor, a once-in-a-lifetime event,” John said. “But it’s also a massive responsibility. People are going to closely watch what he does.”
Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian order who spent much of his life serving in Peru, chose the papal name Leo XIV. John shared that his brother has always been deeply concerned about the poor and marginalized, predicting that his papacy would be much like that of Pope Francis.
“He’s not going to be extreme in either direction,” John explained. “He’s going to find a middle ground.”
During the interview, John noticed several missed calls from his brother. He promptly called back, and though Robert was not keen on participating in the interview, they chatted briefly, as brothers do—discussing travel plans and exchanging congratulations.
Robert Prevost grew up as the youngest of three boys. John, who is just a year older, fondly recalled their childhood, including their games of tag, Monopoly, and Risk. He had always known his brother would become a priest, though he never imagined he would one day become pope. However, a neighbor had predicted Robert’s future papacy when he was just six years old.
“She had a feeling, even then,” John said, still amazed. “It took a long time, but here we are with the first American pope.”
After graduating from eighth grade, Robert left for seminary school, which meant they didn’t grow up together in the traditional sense. Their contact was limited to family vacations.
Today, the brothers speak daily, with Robert often calling to discuss everything from politics to religion, or even to play Wordle. John admits that things will likely change now that his brother is pope, and it’s unclear how their communication will evolve.
“It’s already strange not having him to talk to every day,” John said.