Leo watched Conclave and played Wordle before vote

Pope viewed Ralph Fiennes film so he knew what to expect

- TOM WATLING

Pope Leo spent the days leading up to the secretive vote in the Vatican that would make him the first American head of the Catholic Church watching the film Conclave so he knew what to expect, his brother has revealed.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, emerged on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on Thursday night as the 267th pontiff, following four rounds of voting during the conclave. The 69-year-old Chicago-born ally of the late Pope Francis was only elevated to cardinal in 2023, but his standing among the papabile had shot up in the weeks after his predecessor's death.