Pope Leo XIV’s sibling disclosed that the spiritual leader watched the Academy Award-winning film shortly before cardinals chose him as pope.
Key Points
-
Pope Leo XIV’s sibling disclosed that they witnessed
Conclave
a few hours prior to the papal election. -
He additionally pointed out that the spiritual leader was involved
Wordle
and
Words With Friends
before the vote. - The pope’s sibling mentioned that he viewed the Ralph Fiennes drama “to know how to act appropriately.”
The new pope felt the divine spirit of
Ralph Fiennes
and
Isabella Rossellini
‘s Oscar-nominated
Conclave
Hours before he was chosen by the cardinals, Pope Leo XIV’s sibling disclosed this information about his actions.
Following the ascent of the Roman Catholic leader to the highest papal position earlier this week, his brother, Illinois resident John Prevost, disclosed what the pope had done right after his predecessor on Thursday’s election day.
Pope Francis
‘ death in April.
Prevost told
NBC News
that he spoke with his brother just before the election and that they played mobile games like
Wordle
and
Words With Friends
To distract himself from reality.
Prevost then mentioned they discussed current events when he added, “One thing I brought up might not have gone down well with my brother for some unexplained reason.” He continued, saying, “For instance, I asked him, ‘Do you still have those red socks?’ It doesn’t always sit right with him.”
Prevost remembered asking about his sibling’s acquaintance with the 2024 movie.
Conclave,
Fiennes portrayed Cardinal Lawrence, a spiritual leader caught up in escalating plots and sectarian conflicts as he and other cardinals are isolated to choose a new pontiff.
“I asked, ‘Are you prepared for this? Have you seen the movie?’”
Conclave
Do you know how to conduct yourself?” he asked after finishing the film.
Conclave
So he understood how to act,” clarified Prevost. “It’s all that sort of thing because I aimed to distract him from it. You know, find humor in things, since this has become quite a significant duty now.
Besides earning a substantial $119 million globally at the box office with an estimated production cost of $20 million,
Conclave
received widespread acclaim from critics — especially for its surprising conclusion.
The movie likewise secured eight Academy Award nominations.
In 2025, at the Academy Awards ceremony, it eventually secured one win.
For the screenplay by Peter Straughan, based on Robert Harris’ novel with the same title.
In the realm of awards season, the celebrities of
Conclave
honored Pope Francis following reports about his declining health because of a respiratory issue that resulted in double pneumonia.
Rossellini, who portrayed a nun in the film, was accompanied by co-stars Fiennes,
John Lithgow
, and Sergio Castellitto
at the 2025 SAG Awards ceremony in February
, where she directed a segment honoring Pope Francis during the broadcast.
Sign up for
Entertainment Weekly
‘s free daily newsletter
to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
“Firstly, we want to extend our wishes for a swift recovery to Pope Francis,” Rossellini stated, prompting applause from the people present in the room.
Watch Prevost discuss Pope Leo XIV watching
Conclave
in the video above.
Read the initial article on
Entertainment Weekly