Pope Leo's Brothers — A MAGA Florida Man. A Chicago Liberal. And The Vicar of Christ.
They grew up in the same house, but ended up in wildly different corners of the ideological map and. Now they’re back under one roof — at the Vatican.
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Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a series of deeply reported essays that, together, offer the most complete portrait yet of Pope Leo — not just his own life and formation, but also the circle of people he trusts most as he begins his pontificate.
Why? Because if Leo XIV is to be the world’s most credible moral leader in this defining moment for America and the globe, then we need to know the men and women he relies on to carry out his vision.
Today’s essay turns to Pope Leo’s brothers and to how the interplay between his two older siblings — an outspoken MAGA firebrand and a quiet Chicago liberal — formed his worldview as the first American pope.
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The latest installments:
Part IV explores Pope Leo’s 20-year friendship with Pope Francis.
Part V profiles his closest cardinal confidant, Luis Antonio Tagle.
Part VI examines how his thirty years in Peru will affect his pontificate.
Part VII is a look at Leo’s top Middle East advisor, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
Part VIII is a deep dive into the most powerful woman in Pope Leo’s cabinet and the Catholic Church.
Part IX looks at the Jesuit cardinal behind Pope Leo’s social justice agenda.
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This month in Rome, an extraordinary family reunion is quietly unfolding. Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Francis Prevost — will be hosting his two brothers, Louis and John Prevost, in the Vatican for the first time since his papal inauguration earlier this year.
The Prevost brothers grew up together in a devout Catholic household on Chicago’s South Side, where even a childhood neighbor prophetically told young Robert he’d be “the first American pope.”

Now that prophecy has come to pass, and the brothers have journeyed from the United States to the Eternal City to see for themselves the new world their kid brother inhabits.
It’s a scene both deeply personal and broadly symbolic — Midwestern family roots meeting the grandeur of Rome — offering a humanizing glimpse into Pope Leo’s background and formation.
Here’s an in-depth look at Leo’s two older siblings.
Louis Prevost — The Outspoken Elder Brother
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