John Prevost, brother of Pope Leo XIV, claims that the pontiff does not plan to travel to the U.S.

Washington .- John Prevost, brother of Pope Leo XIV, denied reports of a supposed cancellation of a trip by the Holy Father to his native United States, amid differences with the president of that country, Donald Trump, and affirmed that, for the moment, the pontiff has no plans to visit the U.S.

“I think something needs to be made clear, the moment a news anchor announces that the Pope had canceled a trip to the United States. That is not true,” he said in an interview this Wednesday on the NBC network in Chicago, the city where the Prevosts were born and raised. He insisted that “at no time was the Pope planning a trip to the United States for this year.”

Turning the page on the controversy between Pope Leo XIV and Trump

The retired teacher, a year older than the first American pope in history, commented on the controversy between Trump and his brother, whom the American president  criticized for being “terrible in foreign policy”“, after the latter questioned the war initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Tehran.

Trump has received criticism, including from his Republican base, for his confrontation with the Pope and for an AI-generated post, which he later deleted, where he appeared dressed as Jesus, healing a sick person. Leo XIV replied he was not “afraid” of the Trump Administration and then stated he had no interest in continuing the debate. The Pope’s brother agreed that the Holy Father, who will celebrate a year of his pontificate next May, only adheres to the teachings of the Catholic Church. “My brother speaks in favor of peace, peace and equality for all people. That’s all he says. He doesn’t want to get into debates or argue about the matter, that’s his message to the world,” he warned.

Closeness at a Distance

John Prevost also commented on his close relationship with his brother, who, according to him, calls him frequently, even from his official trips like the one he just finished in Africa. “Keep calling, although I don’t always know for sure what time he will because of the time difference,” said the retiree, who lives in the south of Chicago, in the same neighborhood where he grew up with his father and his other brother, Louis Prevost, whom Trump has praised several times and of whom he says is his supporter. He also revealed that Leo XIV continues to receive many gifts, including hundreds of Peeps, a popular marshmallow brand that the former cardinal likes, traditional in Easter celebrations in the United States. “In the apartment he occupied he had two closets full of Peeps, so, effectively, he’s still receiving things. Therefore, friends: as far as Peeps are concerned, he already has enough. He considers that he has the necessary amount to last him until next Easter,” he joked.