With the election of Pope Leo XIV as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, all eyes turned to his family. The youngest son of Louis and Mildred Prevost, Pope Leo has two older brothers: John Joseph Prevost and Louis Martín Prevost.
Both brothers have spoken to national media in the aftermath of Pope Leo’s election. Here’s a bit about them and their reaction to Thursday’s news.
John Joseph Prevost
John, 71, is a retired educator and school principal. He lives in New Lenox, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
He recently revealed to the press that he and his brother, now Pope Leo, play Wordle and Words with Friends daily, engaging in the competition even in the lead up to the conclave. “First we do Wordle ’cause this is a regular thing, then we do Words with Friends,” John told NBC News. “It’s something to keep his mind off life in the real world. And then we talk about what’s going on and I said, ‘Well, do you have your red socks?’ That doesn’t go over well all the time. And then just that kind of stuff.”
They also talk on the phone every day, which John told the Associated Press he’s worried will change now that his brother is Pope. “It’s already strange not having someone to talk to,” he said.
Louis Martín Prevost
Louis, the oldest Prevost brother, currently lives in Port Charlotte, Florida, with his wife, Deborah Prevost.
He was drafted in college and served in the Navy for years, just as their father did. “I thought I had done traveling in the Navy, but, my God, he blew me away,” Louis said of his younger brother to ABC News.
Leading up to the conclave, he discussed with his brother the possibility of him becoming the next pope. “We talked a little bit about it, and I said you know what happens if you win? If they vote for you, are you going to accept it?” Louis recalled to Fox 4. “[He said] ‘I will accept it; it’s God’s will; it’s in his hands.’”
He added he’s worried about what comes next. “That’s the hardest part—all day I’ve been like—I wonder if we’ll actually be able to see him again and be with him—and shake his hand and hug him. Yeah I’m the pope’s brother, but it’s hard to get in to see the pope.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
