Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV's brother, John Prevost, expressed his astonishment after his younger sibling was elected as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. "It was a shocking moment," Prevost stated, describing his immediate disbelief during a phone call with his niece when the news broke. The phones in his household were inundated with alerts confirming the news of his 69-year-old brother Robert's election as the new pontiff.

According to Philippines News Agency, Leo XIV, the youngest of three siblings, grew up with a father who worked as a school superintendent and a mother who served as a librarian in the southern suburbs of Chicago. John Prevost, a former Catholic school principal, reflected on their upbringing, noting that all three children had clear aspirations from a young age. "Rob knew he was going to be a priest from the time he could walk," he recalled.

Prevost shared a telling anecdote of a neighbor who once predicted that young Robert would become pope, a forecast that has now remarkably come true. The night before the conclave, the brothers discussed potential papal names, with John advising against 'Leo' due to its association with the number 13. However, the newly elected pope conducted his research and chose the name Leo XIV.