Leo XIV's Brother Settles A Crucial Chicago Debate

Pope Leo XIV has two older brothers, John and Louis, who were with him on his journey from altar boy to pope.

John, a retired Catholic school principal, said the brothers had a normal childhood and a traditional Catholic upbringing. They were all altar boys, but Leo knew from a young age that he wanted to be a priest.

"You know how some kids want to play war games and be soldiers, and some girls want to play dolls and be housewives? He wanted to play priest, so he took our mum's ironing board and put a tablecloth over it and we had to go to mass," John said.

"We went to Mass and he knew everything. He knew the prayers in Latin, he knew his prayers in English, and he did it all the time. He took it very seriously. It was not a joke, it was not a game. He was deadly serious. Isn't that interesting?"

John said one of the mothers on their street told Leo in kindergarten or first grade that he would be the first US-born pope.

He's confident his brother will be a great pope because he didn't seek the papacy: "I think the fact that in his heart and soul he wanted to be a missionary. He didn't want to be a bishop, he didn't want to be a cardinal, but that's what was asked of him," he said.

And: "I think you're going to see a second Pope Francis. I think so. And then he'll take on some things. He's young to be Pope, I think, and he's active. So he will be here and there, moving around, and I think he will also speak his mind".

What comes to mind when he hears the name Pope Leo XIV and people talk about his brother?

"Shock. Disbelief. A lot of pride. A lot of, is this for real? What are we going to do? Things like that, because this is an awesome responsibility that we have to live up to, that he has to live up to. People are going to be watching him from now on, closer than ever, and maybe us too, the family," he said.

John said he hasn't had a chance to speak to his younger brother since he became Pope, but he is flying to Rome on Friday to be part of the Vatican celebrations.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs, a professional baseball team, shared a post on X.com with a message that read, "Hey, Chicago, He's a Cubs fan!"

John Prévost, said his younger brother has been a proud White Sox [another professional baseball team] fan since they were altar boys growing up in Dolton.

"They got it wrong. He's Sox, and then the radio said Cubs, and that's not true," John Prevost told CBS News Chicago, adding that the new pope has been a White Sox fan "as long as I've known him".

The Prevost brothers often attended White Sox games when they were growing up.

"Yes, we did. Because it really wasn't that far from Dolton to Sox Park, and of course we were both altar boys, so one of the rewards we got was to go to a Sox game," John said.

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Randall Normanlast year

Who cares what political party he cast his votes for in primary elections? Who cares what his favorite baseball team is? Here is a man who spent nearly 2/3 of his life outside of the U.S. He's an American (i.e., US denizen) , , . but minimally so.
When his identity was announced, there was Cupich, Wuerl and Dolan smiling largely. And Father Martin loves the choice! He (Prevost or Leo XIV) chose a very good Papal name (Leo), but make no mistake: what we have here is Frankie the 2nd.
God save the Church!

Instaurare Omnia in Christolast year

He is going to surprise us all. I believe he will surprise the infiltrators even more than us. For them? In a bad way. For us? In a great way. Why don't we wait and see all he does and says in his first year. We are not mind readers nor do we have crystal balls. Only GOD knows this man and his heart. Pray he will be a good and Holy Pope if you are so concerned he is another Bergoglio. I see a lot of good things about him. I see a lot of signs from Heaven for him. Give him time to prove himself either way. It's all we can do. Pray for him to do the right thing.

DefendTruth shares this

last year

Against claims Pope Leo XIV is a Cubs fan, his brother has publicly said he was “always a Sox fan.”

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K R Rosslast year

Red Sox but no red shoes?

SonoftheChurchlast yearedited

My, my my.....an American Pope - in our lifetime. Who would have thought it? Seriously. And from Chicago, no less. I'm trying to be cautiously ambivalent, but I think I'm going to like him (if he doesn't push sodomy and sodomites, and downplay child murder, and persecute Tradition and Traditionalists, and try to shove the heretical "synodality" crap down the throat of the whole Church). And I’m torn, because I don’t want to “like” him…at least not yet. He was my LAST possible preference after Parolin and Zuppi of those who were seriously considered Papabile, and even though we were told he was on the “short list” of a sizable majority of Cardinal-Electors, I didn’t consider he’d be an actual serious contender because he’s American and because of his relatively young age, 69 years, meaning those who would vote for him would do so with the express knowledge and assumption that his would potentially be a long Pontificate, not a short one. Who would have believed 2/3 of the Cardinals would want ANY American on the Throne of Saint Peter holding the Keys of Heaven for a possible 20 year reign? I didn’t see that coming at all. And thus, perhaps that means there is something divine at work here…at least I hope and pray — desperately — so, for the sake of the Church and the whole world. At any rate, our prayers, highest wishes, congratulations and deepest filial closeness and affection are with the newly elected and beloved Holy Father. May His Holiness lead the Church into a new dawn of blazing greatness and a true and complete devotion to Christ for the Glory of God.

Instaurare Omnia in Christolast year

He's confident his brother will be a great pope because he didn't seek the papacy: "I think the fact that in his heart and soul he wanted to be a missionary. He didn't want to be a bishop, he didn't want to be a cardinal, but that's what was asked of him," he said.
To me, this is another good sign. As I said in another comment the other day. All the great Popes didn't want to be Pope. Pope Saint Pius X even cried. He really is humble this man. Such good signs so far. My hopes are raising a bit even though I am trying not to allow it. I can't help it.