Pope Leo XIV watched Conclave film before secret vote, his brother says

The new Pope watched the film Conclave just before the secret vote, his brother has said.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American head of the Catholic Church, spoke to his older brother John Prevost before conclave began on Wednesday, he told NBC news.

Mr Prevost’s brother emerged on to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in front of a packed St Peter’s Square on Thursday evening as the new Pope after being elected after the fourth vote in the secretive conclave.

Speaking to NBC News, Mr Provost said he had spoken to his brother “right before” the voting began.

“I said ‘Did you watch the movie Conclave so you know how to behave?’. And he had just finished watching the movie Conclave,” Mr Prevost said.

“So he knew how to behave,” he added, laughing.

Oscar-winning Conclave, which stars Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, is based on a fictional version of the election of a pope.

Mr Prevost said he and his younger brother, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, from Chicago, played Wordle together before the vote began.

“First we do Wordle, ’cause this a regular thing, OK, then we do Words With Friends (a virtual Scrabble game),” Mr Prevost said.

“It’s something to keep his mind off life in the real world.”

Mr Prevost said his sibling, the 267th pope, now has “an awesome responsibility”, which is why he spoke about trivial things with him ahead of the conclave of 133 cardinals.

“It’s that kind of stuff because I wanted to take his mind off of it,” Mr Prevost said.

“You know, laugh about something, because this is now an awesome responsibility.”

On being elected, the new pontiff became religious leader of some 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe.