Pope Leo XIV’s brothers describe growing up with new pontiff, his path to papacy

Pope Leo XIV’s brothers describe growing up with new pontiff, his path to papacy

We want to take a personal look at Pope Leo I 14th, who is now the spiritual father to around 1.4 billion Catholics around the world. In his hometown of Chicago, a special mass was held at Holy Name Cathedral today in celebration of the first American pope being elected to lead the Catholic Church. Many people back in the Windy City know him as a friend or family member. For our next guest, he’s a brother. Lewis Pos joins us now from Florida. Lewis, thanks for being here. Well, glad to be here. Thanks for getting contact with me. Lewis, take us through the moment when you found out your brother was elected pope. You don’t want you don’t want to know the dirty details. We do. Um, obviously it happened yesterday. Well, okay, I’ll I’ll give you the the nitty-gritty. Um, yesterday I was under the weather. I kind of called in sick to work. thought I’d stay in bed, relax, rest up, sleep till like 10, 11, 12:00, you know, just to recover. And my wife calls me from work and said, “Hey, there’s white smoke. There’s white smoke.” That was about 10:30 or so. Woke me up, fine. And then it dawned on me, “White smoke? Oh, that means the they’ve picked a pope.” So, I grabbed the remote for the TV, turned the TV on, and I just laid in bed just watching because, okay, let’s see what happens. And waited and waited and waited. Okay, the blah blah blah all the talking. Will you just tell us who’s the pope now? And inside, I’m, you know, the tension is building. It’s been building since Pope Francis died because we always knew that Rob had a chance. He was a cardinal. He had a chance to be pope, a pretty good chance. And so I’m lying there waiting, waiting, waiting, and nothing’s happening. So around, I don’t know, probably an hour and a half late, maybe, I don’t know. I got up, got dressed, went in the other room, turned the other TV on, was sitting out there watching and waiting. Will you please tell us who’s the pope? Why does it take so long to come out and say who you elected? And finally, the cardinal came out and the bail, oh, here we go. And so now inside it’s boiling. You know, the excitement’s building. You’re already on pins and needles. Toes are tingling, fingers are numb. And he comes out and he says, “We have a new pope.” The crowd goes wild. And his name is, and he says, “Rope.” And as soon as he went rope, I my mind blew up because I knew rope was going to turn into Roberto. And sure enough, Roberto, Francisco, and I I went nuts. I lost it. Um, mind blown, my little brother was just made pope. Oh my god, I What do I do? How do I act? Do I have to change the way I live? I I better behave now. I don’t know. My brother’s the pope. What do you do? And shortly after that, the phone started ringing off the off the hook and people were knocking at the door and here we are. Now I’m talking to you about it. Uh it’s been a ride. It’s been a it’s been uh quite the ride since yesterday. What a remarkable moment for you and your family and enjoy it. Yeah. Have you been able to speak with him? Yes. No, we haven’t. I I don’t know when that’ll happen. I we were hoping maybe yesterday briefly he might call or text text something to say okay I’m the new something just hey say hello but there’s been nothing uh and I don’t have any idea when he’ll be able to contact us here uh if at all. I’m sure he’s swamped. Yeah. And being um pestered by church people, other cardinals, you know, doing the church’s business, let alone talking to his brother. It’s like, ah, you’re just my brother. I don’t I don’t have time for you anymore. Which Le could you tell us a little bit more about your upbringing with him in Chicago and why you think the Cardinals ultimately chose him? Um, yeah. basically like I was going to say, yeah, he’s my little brother. We grew up in a in a south suburbs in Dalton, Illinois. Um, we knew as a family from a very young age there was something special about Rob. He was just had that air about him. Um, so we we knew, okay, I think he’s going to he the vocation, this Holy Spirit has talked to him. He’s gonna be a priest. And while I was out playing boy games, you know, whether it was baseball, cops and robbers, tag, flashlight, whatever, kid games. Rob used to like to play priest. Now, how many six, seven, eight year olds do you know like to play priest? I’ve never seen one before. we’d have to go downstairs while he did mass for us and give us holy communion with neco wafers. Um it’s since way back then he’s he’s had that calling and all through grade school when he got out of 8th grade he went right into the seminary and um pro proceeded from there till he became ordained. He went to Rome for whatever reason was brought to Rome to be ordained by the pope. I don’t even remember what pope it was at the time, but he was ordained there. That’s something special. And then he went back to Peru to his missions. He worked in Peru, became a bishop, then an archbishop. uh at some point I don’t know what I guess it was back in 23 when Pope Francis pulled him from Peru and brought him to Rome uh and elevate him to cardinal uh at that point we thought yikes it could happen he could really be the pope someday and we went to Rome when he was made a cardinal for that got to see him spend some time with him uh met Pope Pope Francis talked to him for a while and there there were room there were stories running around back then in the in the halls in in in the world that at that time in 23. It looked like he was one of the top three contenders for the ne for the papacy after Pope Francis passed. Top three. There’s too many other cardinals. There’s no way. Well, as it turns out, he’s he’s the top pick. He he won. And we’re elated, overjoyed, super happy. I can’t I can’t put to words the feeling. You can only imagine. But at the same time, again, like we talked before, we haven’t heard from him. Is is this position going to take him away to where we don’t see him anymore? We can’t talk to him like we used to anymore. We don’t know it. Um, it’s a new life. He’s not Rob anymore. He’s Leo the 14th. Does that mean as his brothers were like outsiders now? Because he’s on top of the church and he’s got more important things to do than fa family. I don’t know. I sincerely hope not. I don’t think it will turn out that way. But well, he may be Leo now to the rest of the world able to go back. I think he’ll always be robbed to you, but we are we are elated for you and your family. Yes. Well, thank you. But yes, they he will always be robbed. If like I was telling someone else, if if we do get over there and do get to meet him, I’m still going to treat him like my little brother. I’ll give him a hug. I’ll say, “Rob, you idiot. What have you done?” Take his hat off and give him a noogie. Um, maybe just don’t talk a little bit to their younger brothers. Maybe not everything for a younger brother. Lewis Pros, we have so appreciated our chat with you. Thank you so much. Oh, you’re welcome. Thank you. Uh, now perhaps the most energetic POS brother reacting to the news of Pope Leo. This is Lewis in Florida. It was like, oh my god, it’s Rob. It’s never going to be the same. What are we going to do? Yes, it’s Rob. Yay. Yay. I used to I still do it. You know, play with guns, knives, bows and arrows. He would play priest. How boring. Come on, Rob. Let’s go. No. Can I give you communion? Destined to be. Um, so exciting to hear from those family members. Pope Leo I 14th. He is now the spiritual father to around 1.4 4 billion Catholics around the world. But many people back in his hometown of Chicago. It seems like everybody’s from Chicago now know him as a friend or a family member. But to this guest, he is a brother. This is the brother of Pope Leo. John Pos is his name, a retired Catholic school principal in Illinois. John, good morning to you and welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Good morning and thank you. So, this is I don’t know. I’m so excited when I got the news yesterday. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. Did you have a heads up that this was coming or did you find out the same time we all found out? I found out the same time watching TV and seeing him come out well when the cardinal announced his name and seeing him come out on the balcony. So that’s when I first knew it for sure. I suspected it for quite a while. Why? Why did you suspect it? Because when Pope Francis died, someone was on the radio was asked the question, who’s in running for the job? And she said there she said there were two main candidates who were in the running. One being a cardinal from Africa and one being a cardinal from Chicago who spent most of his career in Peru and then is a cardinal in Rome. No names were mentioned, but who else could that be? I know. I know. But John, for so many people, your baby brother was considered a long shot. So, let’s go back to that moment. He comes out on the balcony. He comes out on the balcony and you see him for the first time. What did you think? How did you feel in that moment? I at first I didn’t believe it at all. I just thought maybe I’m dreaming. And then it’s a moment of extreme pride and then eventually reality sets in and and you think there goes the rest of his life. Yes. And now he’s got awesome awesome awesome responsibility that he has to deal with. And so then uh there wasn’t much more time because as of that moment the doorbell started ringing and the phone started ringing and it’s been going ever since. Yes. Have you spoken to him, John, yet? very briefly. I found out yesterday when I was in the house and heard the phone ring. He tried three or four times, but I was outside with other reporters. So, we were able to talk for maybe 45 seconds and I said, “Congratulations.” And he said, “Okay, goodbye.” Cuz he knew there were reporters in the house and he’s not he’s not ready for that yet. He said, “Okay, goodbye.” And we keep hearing all about your family background. I hear there there is some creole blood in your background which people think oh so can we say that part of the family is black. Tell us about your family background what this means. See I’m not real sure about it because we never really talked about it. I am aware that my mother’s parents were from Haiti and we are aware that her sisters were all born in New Orleans and but my mom was born up here in Chicago. Well, it seems, but other than that, I really couldn’t tell you a whole lot. Let me just say it seems like everybody’s it seems like everybody’s claiming you guys. Vlad Dutier, who’s a partner with us at the table, is from Haiti. So, he’s going, “Yes, he’s one of my people.” Anybody who’s in Chicago or is in driving distance, he’s one of my people. But Tony Dopal is in Rome where he’s covering. Go ahead. Go ahead. Oh, somebody I was just going to say, and that’s part of his job is to bring the Catholic community together again. And it’s already started. It’s already started. I heard somebody ringing your doorbell. So don’t don’t get up just yet. Tony Copel is joining us for a moment. It’s not That’s not the doorbell. It’s not the doorbell. That was my phone telling me a a text came in. Okay. All right. Don’t pick it up just yet. Don’t pick it up just yet. John Tony Popel is covering your brother in Rome and is joining us for this conversation. Hey, Tony. Meet John Poso’s brother. Hey Gail. Hey John. Hey big brother to the new pope. Uh I I you said it felt like a dream finding out your brother was now the pope. Good morning to you. I have to say I was in the crowd and it felt like a dream for all of us here and I’m so excited for your family and I’m so interested in their story. Uh you know your your brother is now Pope. But little brothers are not always angels in my experience. So I’m curious growing up in that house with him. Uh did he ever get in any trouble with mom and dad? I have to tell you. Um, no. I don’t I don’t think I don’t think we we were three. There were three of us, but I don’t think anyone any of us really got into any kind of serious trouble because our parents took care of stuff immediately and we just we just knew better than to be in trouble even if even in school there just we didn’t Go ahead. Sorry. No, I was going to say you were alter boys after all John. Is it true that your Is it true that your brother when he was a little boy said either I want to be a priest or I want to be the pope? I don’t know of any little boy that says that. Was he that kind of kid? I don’t think he ever he he never really said he wanted to be a pope, but he did know right away that he was going to be a priest. And I really don’t think in his mind there was any other option. It was going to be a priest. Period. End of discussion. The only part that might have been discussed at the point of choosing a high school because in those days when you went to high school, you went to a seminary. It was what order would he be? Would he go to Jesuit? Would he go to Franciscan? Would he go to Augustininian? Or would he be a um diosis priest and be at a local parish? I think that’s the only question that was in people that was in uh other people’s minds. All right, John Pos, very happy and very excited for your family. The world really is rejoicing about your brother’s choice. So, congrats to you and your family. Something tells me you’re gonna get a lot of media attention for the next couple of days. Bye-bye, sir. Thank you. Just your reaction. Where were you when you heard the news? I was um sitting in the living room reading a book. I got a message from a former teacher that said there’s white smoke. So, I went down to put the TV on to watch it and then I saw and I called my niece to say, “Hey,” she said she’s watching it also. So we were watching it and wondering at what point would the curtains open. So maybe 40 45 minutes later she said, “Look, the curtains are moving.” And sure enough, they moved and they opened and out came the um bishop from France and he gave the and we heard our name called and she screamed and I sort of, “Oh my gosh, this is for real. Is this happening?” And then we just sort of listened to what he had to say and she said, “I’m going to call work. I’m not going in today.” And I said, ‘Well, whatever it takes. And then we just listened and watched the people in the crowd and listened to his speeches because he didn’t say a whole lot in English. He used Spanish and Italian, so we didn’t get a whole lot, but there were some subtitles. And then, um, off went my phone, off went the cell phone, off went the iPad, everything went off at the same time. And so trying to respond to all that, plus this, then the door went, and it’s been non-stop since that time. Go back for a moment, though. You hear the name and you do say thing, feel what? Shock, disbelief, uh, a whole lot of pride, a whole lot of is this for real? Um, now what are we going to do? Um, that kind of stuff. It cuz this is an awesome responsibility that we have to live up to, that he has to live up to. Uh, people are going to be watching him from now on, closer than ever, and maybe us too. the family. So tell me, what is it about your brother that you know will make him an awesome pope? I think the very fact that in his heart, in his very soul, he wanted to be a missionary. He didn’t want the bishop. He didn’t want the cardinal, but that’s what he’s asked to do. So that’s what he did. uh he would have liked to go back to Peru and work with the missions because he had a deep feeling for the disenfranchised, for the poor, for those who were not listened to and he had a very strong feeling and I think in that way he will be a second Pope Francis. I think he’ll follow right in his footsteps working for the underprivileged and I was going to ask you that what kind of pope do you think he will be? I think you’ll see a second Pope Francis, I think. And then he’ll take some things on himself. Um, he’s young to be a pope, I think. Um, and he’s active, so he will be here and there and moving around. And I think he will also speak his mind. And tell me about your younger brother as your younger brother. Tell me those stories when you were growing up. there aren’t a whole lot because he left home after 8th grade graduation and went went right away into the Augustian seminary in Holland, Michigan. So, he wasn’t home much after that, you know, summer vacations, Christmas vacations from high school and college and then he was with the order. So, there really weren’t a whole lot um as growing up as we became older then yeah when he would come up for leaves and stuff like that more so than as kids. Was your brother overheard somebody say you knew it when he was young? Somebody said tell tell me that story that we knew when he was young. Yeah. Who said that? In what under what circumstances? Tell me the story. Well, you know how some kids like to play war and be soldiers and some kids girls want to play dolls and be housewives. He wanted to play priest. And so he took our mom’s ironing board and put a tablecloth over it and we had to go to mass. And we went to mass and he knew everything. He knew his prayers in Latin. He knew his prayers in English. Um, and he did that all the time and he took it totally serious. It was not a joke. It was not a game. He was dead serious about it. Isn’t that interesting? Now, that’s how you know. And the other thing how we knew when he was in first grade or kindergarten, one of the woman moms across the street and one down the street said to him, “You’re going to be the first American pope in first grade.” They knew that. First grade. Uh-huh. Did you see it, too? Uh-huh. The pope? No. Priest? Yeah. But I did. I Who would think at 6 years old you’re going to be the first American pope? But he just had that spirit around him that was interested in other people and interested in the neighbors and stuff like that. So that would make what would make a woman say that? You know, what did he do? Cuz I couldn’t tell you. They didn’t say that about me. Tell me about that pride you’re feeling. It’s hard to put into words. I mean, how can one be more proud of someone who is not only the pope but the first American pope, the first pope from Chicago and my brother? And I was going to ask you that the significance of being the first American pope. It’s awesome. But I think it’s going to carry a great responsibility. I think he will be scrutinized left and right, up and down because he is the first American pope. You know, we’re used to um an Italian pope or in Pope Francis’s case an Argentine pope. So, but here’s the American pope. What’s he going to do for me? You know, which is why I thought there would never be an American pope because the United States is too powerful already. Would they want to bring the church into it? But the Holy Spirit moves somebody. And so, what is it about your brother that you know will allow him to handle that? cuz what you’re saying it sounds like it’s going to be a lot. But I think it will be a lot. But he has the patience of quote unquote a saint. He can handle it. He can he can uh take it. He can stop and think before he gives an answer. See, I’m answering you immediately. He he would think a minute and then give an answer. I blurt it out. Right, wrong, or indifferent. That’s what comes to me. He will think it out and will be very careful about what he says and what’s the best response for the church today and for the people of the church and to try to bring them all into one which is probably an impossible task in those controversial topics um the war immigration um gay rights and on and on and on. How will he do you think handle that weigh in on that? He will weigh in on it. I think he is I don’t want to speak for him but I think he sees the United States is headed in the wrong direction in terms of immigration that this is a total injustice to these are people doesn’t matter where they’re born they are people first and so they need to be treated as people first um the war it’s got to be I don’t know how he would how he would handle that’s a very difficult situation cuz you’re going to offend someone one way or the other no matter what. Um, gay marriage, did you say? I think he will follow what the church has traditionally said about that. I think and one last question, just describe for me your childhood growing up. Uh, you grew up in Dalton. Just describe for me a little bit about your childhood. I think we were just regular kids. You know, you get up in the morning, someone’s knocking on your door to come out and play and you go out and play. You pick up a game of baseball or um next door had a pool, so we would go back and go swimming for a while. Um as we got older, we’d take the train and go downtown and um that kind of activities, you know, just what regular kids did with the neighbors. And what did he particularly like to do? You said he liked to play priest, but anything else with any of the games that he play or I think he would do whatever the majority he would never he’s never wanted to say no, I don’t want to do that. If people wanted to do it, he would he would go along with it. As he got into the high school age, his favorite recreation was driving. He just loved to get behind the wheel. All right, we will be driving very much. Well, see, that’s what I said to somebody. I said, I think he’s Pope and he’ll say, I want to drive. All right. Interesting to see, right? Let’s look at the pictures first. This one, hold that one up and tell me so I know the significance of this is his um picture taken after his ordination. The ordination took place in Rome. And these two, this is my brother. This is Bob Daro. They were both ordained in Rome on this day. And that was the picture they took. Okay. Okay. And this is when he was a second first made cardinal. Okay. And this is the older brother. This one is me. And this one is the now pope. And this was taken what it would be 2023. 2023. All right. And what year would this one have been then? Baby. See, I know this is ordination. It’s going to be 80 something. Okay. All right. And this one is how what are the ages here? And okay. This is the three of us. Oh, I explained that you go ahead. Okay. That’s the pope. Me and the older one, Lewis. And this has to be He’s a year younger than me. So I put this what? Two. Three and six, I’m guessing. Okay. Cubs or socks? See, they had it wrong. He’s socks and then the radio announced Cubs and that’s not true. Well, how long and has he been a Socks fan? What? Tell me about that. I would long as I’ve known him really all along. Um, did you guys go to the games or Oh, yeah. Yes, we did. Cuz really from Dalton to Sak Park wasn’t that big of a a deal. And of course, we were both ultra boys, so that was one of the rewards that we got was to go to a sock game.

Louis Prevost and John Prevost, the older brothers of Pope Leo XIV, shared how they reacted when they found out he was the new leader of the Catholic Church and stories about their childhood.

0:00 Louis Prevost recounts moment he heard his brother was pope
3:05 Louis Prevost says “it’s been quite the ride” since Pope Leo XIV’s election
4:22 Louis Prevost on their childhood in Chicago
7:42 Louis Prevost on what he will do when he sees his brother as pope
8:52 Louis Prevost jumps for joy after hearing his brother is the new pope
9:29 John Prevost says he felt extreme pride hearing Pope Leo XIV
9:58 John Prevost says he suspected his brother would be pope
11:41 John Prevost says he spoke to Pope Leo XIV briefly
15:34 John Prevost on moment when he heard his brother’s name
17:19 John Prevost on Pope Leo XIV’s character, why he believe he will be a second Pope Francis
18:28 Why he knew his brother will be pope one day
23:57 Childhood photos of Pope Leo XIV and his brothers

#news #popeleo #vatican

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