Plots & deals that cinched the vote

SUB-PLOTS, deals and partnerships worthy of the hit film Conclave were all part of the extraordinary voting system that led to Robert Prevost becoming Pope Leo XIV in under two days.

- ANDY LINES

The US cardinal was a 66/1 outsider who steamed right down the middle collecting votes from all sides.

The fact that he speaks six languages fluently and spent much of his life in the South American country of Peru was seen as a crucial factor.

Sources said that until Thursday lunchtime Italian cardinal Pietro Parolin was ahead, on between 45 and 55 votes.

It was an impressive total but well short of the 89 votes he needed for a two-thirds majority.