Pope Leo XIV didn't play tag as a kid. He played priest, brother says.
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Experts on the significance of the new pope choosing the name Leo XIV
Experts say a papal name can give you clues about the new pontiff's values and priorities. What does choosing Leo XIV tell them?
Robert Prevost, the first American-born pope, was elected as Pope Leo XIV.
The pope's brother, Louis Prevost, a Navy veteran residing in Port Charlotte, Florida, has been giving numerous interviews since the announcement.
Leo XIV felt a calling to the priesthood from a young age, although his family didn't anticipate his rise to papacy.
Louis Prevost hopes his brother can unify the Catholic Church and minimize internal disputes.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. − In the early 1960s, while his brothers played tag in their Chicago neighborhood, 6-year-old Robert Prevost preferred to play priest. He gave out communion and neighbors said that someday, little Robert would end up as the pope.
Turns out they were right.
Prevost's ascension to Pope Leo XIV this week is still mind-blowing to Louis Prevost, the new pope's brother. Louis Prevost told the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, part of the USA TODAY Network, that he is equal parts excited, happy, mind-blown and a little worried about how the papacy will impact his relationship with his youngest brother.
'We can only hope that we can maintain that closeness, and we don't do anything to embarrass him,' Louis Prevost, a Navy veteran, said with a chuckle. A rotation of cars remains parked in front Louis Prevost's Port Charlotte home, never mind the numerous vehicles that slowly cruise past the couple's house.
Leo XIV's vehicle of choice will now be the popemobile.
Cardinals from across the globe made history during the papal conclave on Thursday, choosing the first American-born pontiff. And for his family in Florida, it's the story of a lifetime.
Louis Prevost's wife continues to pencil in interviews on a schedule sheet amongst all the busyness. A new car parks along the street. Louis Prevost has been up since 7 a.m. doing interviews since his brother was chosen as the new pope, nearly losing his voice through the 40-50 interviews he's done over the last 24 hours.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Leo XIV joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1977. He attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977, and he got a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982.
Louis Prevost said there was always something about his brother's humble demeanor that made him stand out, prompting other parents, strangers and neighbors to constantly tell a young Leo XIV out of the blue, "You're going to be the pope someday."
Priesthood was something that Pope Leo XIV had his eyes on as a freshman in high school, Louis Prevost said. While they grew up in a traditional Catholic family, pursuing leadership roles within the church was never something that their parents sprung on them.
Louis Prevost believes that his mom thought young Robert would go high up in the church, but he's not so sure if the papacy ever crossed his parents' minds.
'Odds are it might've killed them,' Louis Prevost joked about his parents if they were alive and heard the news about their son becoming the pope.
It's been nearly a year since the last time Louis Prevost saw his brother during an Augustinian function in Naples, but he doubts the pope will ever visit again or make an appearance at their local house of worship, St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church, due to his heightened papal status.
Louis Prevost and his wife are planning on making it out to the Vatican this weekend. He hopes that his brother will be able to bring the Catholic Church together in his new role as the pope and continue to grow the church.
'Let's smooth these feathers, get these guys on the same page, and let's be the Catholic Church and go forward and put all this bickering aside,' Louis Prevost said.
Melissa Pérez-Carrillo covers breaking news and public safety for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Reach out at mperezcarrillo@gannett.com
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