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New Lenox, Illinois — As the world welcomed the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, his older brother John Prevost sat in quiet disbelief in their home state of Illinois, reflecting on how far his younger sibling had come.
In an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, John Prevost shared personal stories and insights about the newly elected pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, describing him as a humble, thoughtful man with a strong sense of justice. Reporters Robert Chiarito and Mitch Smith contributed to the wide-ranging profile, with Chiarito reporting from New Lenox and Smith from Chicago.
"He has a great, great desire to help the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, the people who are ignored," said John, 71, a retired educator. He predicted Pope Leo XIV would follow closely in the footsteps of his friend and predecessor, Pope Francis.
The brothers grew up in Dolton, a suburb just outside Chicago, where their father worked as a school superintendent and their mother as a parish librarian. "They would be on Cloud 9,” John said of what their late parents would have thought of Robert’s election. “Absolutely incredible. You couldn’t even dream this."
John also spoke of the new pope’s modest lifestyle—"He’s not going to go out for a 19-course meal"—and downplayed speculation that Leo had long harbored papal ambitions. "It was ‘absolutely not, God forbid,’” he said, "and then it became, 'Well, if it’s what God wants, then we’ll deal with it.'"
Pope Leo XIV's journey included formative years spent as a missionary in Peru and key leadership roles within the Augustinian order. Most recently, he served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America before being elected to the papacy.
While media outlets scrambled outside his home and calls poured in, John Prevost maintained a mix of pride and cautious optimism. Asked what kind of leader his brother would be, he offered a grounded perspective: "Middle of the road, but not afraid to speak his mind."
And just to set the record straight, he added with a laugh: "He’s not a Cubs fan—he’s White Sox all the way."
