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Brother of Leo XIV says he will be similar to Pope Francis

By Andreas WailzerMay 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Brother of Leo XIV says he will be similar to Pope Francis
Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images | The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025

The Pope’s brother, John Prevost, has said the new leader of the Church and his predecessor Francis ‘believed in the same issues,’ adding that Leo ‘will follow’ the late pontiff.

(LifeSiteNews) — The brother of Pope Leo XIV has said that he expects the new Pope to continue “the tradition of Pope Francis.”

When asked by an ABC reporter what kind of person his brother is, John Prevost replied:  "A regular, run of the mill person.”

“I think because he was trained in missionary work in South America for so many years, he will be looking out for the disenfranchised, he will be looking out for the poor. He will be looking out for those that don't have a voice. So, I think he will follow … Pope Francis.”

The reporter asked John Prevost if he thought his brother’s reign would differ from Pope Francis’ papacy.

“ I don't know that you'll see a big difference,” he stated. “He met Pope Francis before he was Pope, when he was in Argentina, and my brother was in Peru. So that's how the connection began.”

“I think they kind of believed in the same issues, so I don't know that there'll be much difference,” he continued. “He might prove me wrong, but I don't see there'll be much of a breaking [with] the tradition of Pope Francis.”

READ: 5 worrying things you need to know about Leo XIV

The Pope’s brother recalled an interesting and perhaps prophetic story from their childhood, when a woman who lived close to their family told his brother he would become pope one day:

 When he [Pope Leo XIV] 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.

John said his brother already knew he wanted to be a priest at that point in time.

Faith & Religion
May 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
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Andreas Wailzer

Andreas Wailzer is an Austrian journalist based in Vienna writing for LifeSiteNews. He studied business and economics in Vienna and Vancouver, Canada. In 2022, he left his job in the corporate world to work full-time in the field of Catholic journalism and advocacy, first at the St. Boniface Institute in Vienna and now at LifeSiteNews. Andreas loves to write about politics, economics, and everything related to the Catholic faith. His work has been published in English and German in multiple media outlets, including Die Tagespost, Wochenblick, Corrigenda, and LifeSiteNews. You can follow Andreas on Twitter.
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  • The Pope’s brother, John Prevost, has said the new leader of the Church and his predecessor Francis ‘believed in the same issues,’ adding that Leo ‘will follow’ the late pontiff.

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