Think. Apparently, that is what Louis Prevost is doing now.
To back up a bit, as a Catholic, I felt fairly invested in who would replace Pope Francis. As I said in previous posts, I am not necessarily the best Catholic. I don’t agree with all of the Church’s teachings. But, I am Catholic (though probably not in good standing).
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected and became Pope Francis, it seemed such a positive direction for the Church. The choice of “Francis” as his papal name was telling . . . Saint Francis, who is best known for his love of animals and nature, and his concern for the poor, advocated modeling a life after Jesus. In addition, being the first pope from the Society of Jesus order (or Jesuit) gave a sense of hope for the Church.
Unlike the Jesuits, I am not a scholar. I don’t know the ins-and-outs of their order. I do know, though, they were always a bit controversial, even being kicked out of the Church at one point. If I am not mistaken, part of the issue with the Jesuits was they are highly educated and rather independent thinkers. Not something the Church has seemed historically to value or appreciate.
Pope Francis brought a compassion and acceptance to the Church that seemed lacking under Pope Benedict XVI. He was not a perfect pope but just his view on homosexuals was such a breath of fresh air . . . which also led to division. Many Catholics were not comfortable with welcoming LGBTQ+ people as members of the church.
In my “The Christians Are the Most Warlike People” post, I talk a little about the “What would Jesus do?” (WWJD) fad. As Christians, it should not be foreign to us that condemning “sinners” is not Christ-like. Quite the opposite. And, yet, Catholics turned on the most revered person in our church for suggesting loving all of God’s children.
What does all of this have to do with Louis Prevost? His baby brother, Robert Francis Prevost, in a big surprise, was elected Pope, and became Pope Leo XIV. For many of us who were hoping for a pope who would follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps, we were more than pleased. We were relieved.
Pope Leo XIV seems like a nice, warm person who is in line with much of what Pope Francis valued. I don’t expect a carbon copy but, with so much hate and division in our country right now, Pope Leo seems like a welcoming antidote.
Until Pope Leo XIV, I had not really considered who any pope was as a person. I only knew a teeny bit about Pope Francis’ background. And, now, here we have this American Pope who, come to find out, has two American brothers living in the United States. Really brings it home literally and figuratively.
The brothers found a bit of fame now that their younger brother has been elevated to the highest position in the Church. News cameras descended. We got to hear these proud men talk about their brother. Their warm and congenial manner added affirmation to the idea that Pope Leo XIV would be compassionate and welcoming.
Then came the article, “The Pope’s Florida Brother, a MAGA Disciple, Plans to ‘Tone It Down’” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/us/louis-prevost-pope-leo-xiv-brother.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare). Apparently, Mr. Prevost made some inflammatory and derogatory social media posts about Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, and more. Per the article, his posts contained vulgar references, conspiracy theories and references to violence.
Disappointing, if not disillusioning trying to reconcile the loving brother in the interview with his repulsive posts. Mr. Prevost isn’t quite apologetic. He intimates he is who he is. Still, he makes some concessions.
It sounds like Mr. Prevost is still on social media, but his posts are no longer “publicly viewable.” A concession, yes, but not much if he is still posting hateful stuff.
The big concession, though, is Mr. Prevost said he intends to “tone it down.” Since his social media is not publicly viewable, it is hard to know if and how he is toning it down. What is most telling, though, is that he made that statement at all.
It suggests that, on some level, he knows there is something wrong with what he is doing. How deep that knowledge goes, I do not know. But the knowledge is there. If it wasn’t, why would he feel the need to tone it down?
I wonder how many “MAGA types,” as Mr. Prevost referred to himself in an interview, understand there is something wrong with sowing hate and divisiveness, spreading false tales.
Or maybe they simply haven’t taken the time to think about their actions as Mr. Prevost did when put in the spotlight as the brother of the leader of the Catholic Church, a faith that is supposed to mirror the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Though Mr. Prevost said it is unlikely he will to change, he also said he intended on talking with his brother, Pope Leo XIV, on this topic. Interesting dynamic. Will it be a big brother to baby brother conversation or a sheep’s conversation with his shepherd?