Just a few weeks ago, Robert Francis Prevost was a relatively low-profile cardinal from Chicago.
But on May 8, the 69-year-old stunned the world when he emerged from the papal conclave as the new leader of the Catholic Church — now known as Pope Leo XIV.
The workers Pope?
While some insiders had floated his name as a possible successor to Pope Francis, many believed others were more likely to be chosen. But Leo XIV’s election wasn’t the only surprise — his choice of name has sparked even more curiosity.
The last pope to use the name Leo was Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903 and was known as “the social pope” for championing workers’ rights and standing up for the poor. Some say Leo XIV’s name choice signals his intention to carry on that legacy — leaning into bridge-building and solidarity.
While the Vatican has remained cautious about revealing the new pope’s stance on major political issues, the signs are already emerging. He has reposted tweets criticizing Donald Trump, condemned Vice President JD Vance’s interpretation of Christianity, and made strong statements in his first sermon about “violations of human dignity” and society’s obsession with “technology, money, success, power [or] pleasure.”
A retired school principal
Now, one of the people closest to him — his own brother — is speaking out.
John Prevost, Pope Leo’s older brother and a retired Catholic school principal, recently sat down with The New York Times and offered rare personal insights into the man now leading the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
“I don’t think we’ll see extremes either way,” John said, describing Leo as someone who takes a centrist approach.
But one sensitive and pressing issue — both globally and in his home country of the U.S. — might just be enough to make the Pope speak out forcefully.
