Thursday marked the end of the 2025 papal conclave and an historic first, with Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago-area native born Robert Prevost being elected as the first-ever American pope.
Long seen as unlikely that a pope from the United States would be elected, the news came as an exciting surprise to Catholics across the Chicago area – including Pope Leo’s brother.
“I haven’t had a moment to think about it. But it’s totally unreal, totally surreal, and it’s a tremendous, tremendous thing to take in, but it’s something to be very proud of,” John Prevost told NBC Chicago.
Prevost spoke to his brother right before the Conclave, with the two often playing games such as Wordle and Words with Friends together.
“It’s something to keep his mind off of life in the real world,” he said.
Prevost said he asked if his brother had watched the movie “Conclave” before the start of the papal conclave so he would “know how to behave,” to which Pope Leo said he had.
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“So he knew how to behave. So it’s that kind of stuff, because I wanted to take his mind off of it, laugh about something, because this is now an awesome responsibility,” Prevost said.
As far as if either of them expected Thursday’s outcome, Prevost said he had a “slight feeling” his brother would become the first American pope.
Pope Leo himself, however, was doubtful.
“He didn’t think so. I kind of did, because what I was reading and what I was hearing that there were three outstanding candidates that were in first, second and third place. The Cardinal from the Philippines, the Secretary of State and him,” Prevost said of his optimism.
Prevost even mentioned he had heard his brother had good odds in Vegas when it came to who was the favorite to be the next pope.
“I don’t know how true it is, but one of the priests at Providence over there in New Lenox said to me, ‘the odds in Las Vegas are 18-to-1 that it’s going to your brother,'” Prevost said.
Still, Prevost and his brother, now Pope Leo XIV, remained skeptical.
“I didn’t believe it, and Rob didn’t believe it. I should say, Pope Leo didn’t believe it at all, because there’s not going to be an American pope was the attitude,” Prevost said.
Prevost spoke of their family background, with him and his two brothers growing up in south suburban Dolton.
“We all grew up in Dolton. I think it was just a normal childhood,” Prevost said.
Pope Leo would divert from the path of a normal childhood after eighth grade, when he left for the Augustinian Seminary.
“He went right from high school seminary, and then Augustinian College at Villanova and then the year of theology. So he wasn’t home a lot, except for summer vacations,” Prevost said of the pope’s background.
The youngest of three brothers, Pope Leo was often the one to give advice to his brothers despite his age, Prevost said.
“It’s usually the other way around, he gives the advice to us,” he said.
Prevost did note that he did leave one simple piece of advice with his younger brother.
“Be yourself, because then he’s got it made,” he said.
He also looks back on how proud their parents would be of the newly elected pope, who unfortunately did not get to see much of his journey from priest to Head of the Catholic Church.
“I think they would be speechless. I think they would be extremely proud,” Prevost said. “They only got to see him be priest. They never saw the bishop, they never saw the cardinal, but they did go visit him in the missions in Peru.”
Pope Leo, also a Peruvian citizen, is the second pope with significant ties to Latin America, following Argentina native Pope Francis.
His missionary service follows what Prevost said was a “calling at a very young age.”
“I think he knew it by first grade that he was going to be a priest. And there was no question in anyone’s mind. I think the question that our parents had was, would you be a diocesan priest and work at a parish, or would you be an order priest. Which he chose, Augustinian,” Prevost said.
Though his brother’s aspirations came as no surprise to Prevost and his family, his absence from home didn’t hurt any less.
“We drove him to Holland, Michigan and unpacked. The ride going home was horrible in terms of sadness, because he’s gone,” Prevost said.
Prevost said him and his family are scheduled to travel to Rome Friday in an effort to see their relative-turned-pope, though they’re not for certain that will happen.
“I don’t know how easy it will be to track him down. And will they let us track him down? I don’t know,” Prevost said.
As for Prevost himself, the pope’s older brother spent a long career in education, first as a teacher at Visitation Catholic High School before spending 27 years as a principal at local Catholic high schools.
Prevost’s older brother was drafted into the United States Navy while in college, where he studied computer technology, leading into a career he maintains today in Florida.
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