Pope's Brother: "When He Was 7, a Mom Said He’d Be the First American Pope"
Loss of privacy: “I used to be able to leave the front door open. Now I’m hesitant because you don’t know who’s going to come to the door.”
Ordinary childhood: “Probably like anyone else’s—it was a mom and dad, three boys, school, homework, play, and repeat. It was just a normal life.”
Childhood memory: “One time we were building a shed in the backyard and Rob fell through the roof. It was just part of the wood was rotted, because we were using old doors from the house for the roof.”
Leo XIV’s early vocation: “We always knew that he wanted to be a priest. From a very young age, that was just always there.”
A “prophecy”: “When he was maybe in first or second grade, one of the moms across the street said, ‘You know, he’s going to be the first American Pope.’ We just kind of heard it and moved on.”
Still just brothers: “People say, ‘Who says no to the Pope?’ I do. I’m not afraid to say no—I probably always have.”
Relationship with his brother: “I think it’s the same. It’s more long-distance now. It used to be where he would come here, now if we’re going to see him, we have to go there - but we communicate every day. One of the first things I ask is, 'Did you meet anyone famous today?' On Wednesdays, he has the General Audience - and yesterday he said there were about 20,000 people there.”
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