LANDED HIM IN AN ORANGE JUMPSUIT RIGHT NOW AT 6. >> IN >> A HISTORIC DAY AS THE CONCLAVE SELECT THE 267 HOPE. CHEERS AND TEARS OF JOY. HE WILL BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. HE WILL BE A CALMING VOICE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. AN AMERICAN CARDINAL WILL LEAD THE MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF BILLION CATHOLICS AROUND THE WORLD >> AND HE JUST SO HAPPENS TO HAVE A BROTHER AND CLOSE FRIENDS WHO LIVE ON THE GULF COAST. >> WE USED YOU KNOW, TO USE THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE POPE ONE DAY. >> HAHA, IS THAT, YOU IT JUST HAD ABOUT HIM. >> BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT, HISTORY IS MADE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AS A NEW POPE. THE FIRST AMERICAN EVER ELECTED TO LEAD THE WORLD'S CATHOLICS. AND POPE LEO HAS FAMILY ON THE GULF COAST. GOOD EVENING. I'M KELLY BYRNE AND I'M PETER BUSCH. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? POPE LEO, THE 14TH WAS IN NAPLES JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. >> AND HAS A BROTHER WHO LIVES IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY TONIGHT. GULF COAST NEWS HAS LIVE TEAM COVERAGE. WE'RE SPEAKING TO THAT BROTHER AND THE FORMER AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE FRANCIS ROONEY WHO RECENTLY HAD DINNER WITH THE NEW POPE IN NAPLES. BUT WE START IN PORT CHARLOTTE, MUHAMMAD ABDUL CALL WE JUST SPOKE TO THE BROTHER OF POPE LEO, THE 14. >> IT WAS AN AMAZING CONVERSATION AT BOOK FINISHED TALKING TO HIM ABOUT WELL, SAY 15 MINUTES AGO AND HE WAS TOLD ME THAT HE CALLED OUT SICK TODAY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T FEEL GOOD. I COULDN'T TEAR THAT IN HIS VOICE, BUT HE TOLD ME THAT HE HEARD THE NEWS LIKE THE REST OF US LIKE ON THE TV. HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS TO HOP. AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE A BRIEF. LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION I JUST HAD TO HIM MOMENTS AGO. SHOCKING, SURPRISING. EXCITING. I IT'S I'M ALMOST SPEECHLESS. IT'S JUST MIND BLOWING THAT MY BROTHER WAS ELECTED POPE TODAY. AND WHEN THE CARDINAL CAME OUT AND STARTED TO READ HIS NAME AS SOON AS THE ONE RULE, I KNEW, YOU KNOW, HE WAS GOING TO SAY ROBERTO AND HE DID. AND JUST FREAKED OUT AND SAID IT'S FROM, OH, MY GOD. AND I WAS UP DRESSED OUT. JUST GOING NUTS TO SEE THIS COMING. YES, AND NO YOU PROBABLY HEARD BEFORE. WE'VE KIND OF KNOWN HE WAS SPECIAL. AND WE USED TO TEASE HIM ABOUT BEING POPE WHEN HE WAS 6 YEARS OLD AND STUFF. AND THEN WHEN HE BECAME CARDINAL. THE RUMORS FLOATING AROUND IN ROOM AT THE TIME WAS. HE IS LIKE ONE IN 3 CHANCE OF BECOMING POPE. IT'S INCREDIBLE. IT'S AWESOME. IT'S NICE TO SEE. I JUST HOPE. OTHERS, YOU KNOW, HERE AND OVERSEAS THAT IT DOESN'T TURN POLITICAL BECAUSE YOU HE'S AN AMERICAN. HE'S GONNA SCREW THE CHURCH UP. HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. AND IT JUST KEEP NATIONALITIES NATIONALISM OUT OF IT. AND LET'S JUST THE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. NOW, HIS BROTHER TOLD ME THAT HE WAS TRYING TO FLY THE ROOM. THE TICKETS ARE A LITTLE BIT EXPENSIVE. SO HE'S GONNA LEAVE IT ALONE BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT HIS BROTHER WILL BE A LITTLE TOO BUSY. HOWEVER, HE TOLD ME WHEN THEY DO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WHENEVER HE MEETS HIM, HE TOLD ME THAT IT WILL BE AN AMAZING CONVERSATION. WE'LL HAVE MORE TONIGHT AT 11:00PM FOR NOW REPORTING LIVE IN LOCAL TONIGH
Brother of Pope Leo XIV speaks after historic election
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Updated: 8:29 PM CDT May 8, 2025
The Catholic Church has made history by electing Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.The pope's brother, Louis Prevost, expressed his astonishment at the news. "Shocking, surprising, I'm almost speechless, mind-blowing, my brother was elected pope today," Louis Prevost told sister station Gulf Coast News (WBBH).He recounted the moment he realized his brother had been chosen."When the cardinal came out and started to read his name," Louis Prevost said, adding that as the cardinal pronounced the first few letters of his brother's name, he knew he was about to hear the name Robert Prevost."I knew he was going to say Roberto! And, he did," Louis Prevost explained, adding that he "freaked out" with excitement upon hearing his brother's name and said, "It's Rob, Oh my God!"Related video below: Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Rooney, talks about Pope Leo XIV, who he's known for over three decadesReflecting on his brother's path to the papacy, he shared, "We've kind of known he was special. We teased him about being pope when he was 6 years old. Then, when he became cardinal, the rumors floating around Rome at the time were, 'He's got a 1 in 3 chance of becoming pope.'" He also expressed hopes for Pope Leo XIV's leadership, saying, "It's incredible. It's awesome. I just hope others here and overseas, that it doesn't turn political ... Hopefully that doesn't happen, and just keep the nationalities, nationalism, out of it, and let's just be the Catholic Church."
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Catholic Church has made history by electing Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.
The pope's brother, Louis Prevost, expressed his astonishment at the news.
"Shocking, surprising, I'm almost speechless, mind-blowing, my brother was elected pope today," Louis Prevost told sister station Gulf Coast News (WBBH).
He recounted the moment he realized his brother had been chosen.
"When the cardinal came out and started to read his name," Louis Prevost said, adding that as the cardinal pronounced the first few letters of his brother's name, he knew he was about to hear the name Robert Prevost.
"I knew he was going to say Roberto! And, he did," Louis Prevost explained, adding that he "freaked out" with excitement upon hearing his brother's name and said, "It's Rob, Oh my God!"
Related video below: Former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Rooney, talks about Pope Leo XIV, who he's known for over three decades
Reflecting on his brother's path to the papacy, he shared, "We've kind of known he was special. We teased him about being pope when he was 6 years old. Then, when he became cardinal, the rumors floating around Rome at the time were, 'He's got a 1 in 3 chance of becoming pope.'"
He also expressed hopes for Pope Leo XIV's leadership, saying, "It's incredible. It's awesome. I just hope others here and overseas, that it doesn't turn political ... Hopefully that doesn't happen, and just keep the nationalities, nationalism, out of it, and let's just be the Catholic Church."
