Pope Leo XIV became the first American pope on Thursday, May 8
For many, Robert Francis Prevost will now and forever be known as Pope Leo XIV. For others, the Chicago native becoming the head of the Roman Catholic Church is something they always knew was possible.
After Pope Leo XIV, 69, became the first American pope, ABC News spoke to one of his two brothers, John Prevost, who said those who knew the new pope before were always aware he had something special in him.
“I don’t know how many people will find it interesting, but when he was in first grade, a woman across the street that we used to play with the kids, and a woman down the street said he would be the first American pope. In first grade, they said that,” said Prevost.
Prevost said that Pope Leo XIV “knew from that age he was going to be a priest.” With that early interest in the church, Prevost said his brother “wasn’t around a whole lot” as they were growing older “because after eight grade graduation he went immediately to the seminary.”
“So he was in Holland, Michigan, at the Augustinian seminary for four years, and then he went into Villanova University, which is an Augustinian university,” said Prevost. “So he wasn’t home a lot. Summer vacations he was home.”
When asked if he thought his brother would be chosen as the new pope following Pope Francis’ death on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, Prevost said, “To tell you the truth, no.”
“Because I kept hearing there will never be an American pope just because of politics and the United State has too much world power now they don’t need also [power] into the church. So I did not expect it,” said Prevost.
Prevost admitted that his mindset began to change after he heard reports that his brother might be a front-runner for the papacy.
“I spoke to him [Pope Leo XIV] Tuesday before he went into the conclave, and he just kept saying, ‘No, that’s not true. That’s not true.’ So he’s pushing it away, hoping that it would go away, and it didn’t go away,” Prevost said.
