The brother of Pope Leo XIV has revealed insights into the new pontiff’s views on Donald Trump’s policies.
On Thursday, May 8, the Vatican introduced Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old from Chicago, as the newly appointed leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Addressing the public from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, he took the name Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope and the first American to assume this role, has a background as a missionary in Peru, where he has spent a significant portion of his life.
While his extensive missionary work and multilingual abilities are well-known, his opinions on several contemporary issues have been somewhat elusive.
Hints about his political outlook have emerged—such as his reposting of an anti-Trump tweet, references to ‘technology’ and ‘power’ in his inaugural sermon, and sharing an article criticizing Vice President JD Vance. However, his true thoughts have largely remained speculative until recently.
John Prevost, Pope Leo’s brother and a retired Catholic school principal, has shared details about his brother’s personal life, including his affinity for watching the movie Conclave in his leisure time.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, 71-year-old John Prevost revealed that his brother adopts a more centrist perspective, stating: “I don’t think we’ll see extremes either way.”
John has also suggested that Leo is likely to continue the legacy of the late Pope Francis, who was noted for being a progressive figure in the papacy’s history.
This is particularly relevant to the immigration debate, as John mentioned to the news outlet: “I don’t think he’ll stay quiet for too long if he has something to say.”
“I know he’s not happy with what’s going on with immigration. I know that for a fact. How far he’ll go with it is only one’s guess, but he won’t just sit back. I don’t think he’ll be the silent one.”
These insights follow the late Pope Francis’ criticism of President Trump during a February 2016 visit to Mexico regarding the proposed border wall with Mexico.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian,” the late pope remarked. “This is not the gospel.”
He also condemned Trump’s harsh deportation plans, labeling them a crisis for ‘the dignity of many men and women.’
In his inaugural mass, Pope Leo emphasized the importance of faith and missionary work while denouncing ‘violations of human dignity in the most dramatic manners’ globally and addressing ‘other wounds that afflict our society.’
He further cautioned that people were increasingly prioritizing ‘technology, money, success, power [or] pleasure’ over faith.