Leo XIV considered leaving the priesthood when he was young to marry and have children: "A normal life"

Robert Prevost , elected Pope on Thursday under the name Leo XIV in the conclave held after the death of Francis , considered leaving the priesthood when he was young to marry and have children.

"Sometimes, I spoke with my father about very specific things, about the doubts that could arise when, as a young man, I thought, 'Perhaps it's better to leave this life and get married, have children ,' a life, let's say, normal, what I also knew in my family, moments of choice, of discernment that were very important," Prevost said in an interview with TG1 before being elected Pope.

The then cardinal emphasized in the interview that he had "great confidence" in his parents and explained that his family " was and still is very close ," even though his parents have since passed away.

When he spoke about these topics with his father, the new Pope recalls that he, with his experience, spoke about things like the intimacy his parents had and how important it was: "But also about a vocation to the priesthood , how important closeness to Christ was, knowing Jesus, truly knowing the love of God in life."

"When my father spoke to me like this, in a very human way, but also very profound, I said, here we must listen , think a lot about what he was telling me," says Leo XIV about his father, highlighting that he was a teacher and worked in schools.

The Pontiff explains in the interview that he was born in the United States, in Chicago, and that, although his parents were born in Chicago, his grandparents were all immigrants, " French and Spanish ." "I grew up in a very Catholic family, I was familiar with the Church, with parish experience," he says.

Prevost began studying at a local parish school and, with the proximity of some diocesan priests, "the idea of ​​​​the possibility of becoming a priest was born": "Then I met my religious family, the Augustinians ."