New Pope Watches 'Conclave' Movie, Plays Games While Awaiting Conclave

If you've ever been curious about what a prospective Pope does in their free time, you might be surprised to learn that the recently elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, enjoys leisure activities just like many of us. According to his older brother, John Prevost, in an interview with NBC, the Pope spends his downtime playing games and watching movies.

Earlier this week, we highlighted the impact of Edward Berger's gripping papal thriller, Conclave, which captivated audiences last year. The film's depiction of the papal selection process was so compelling and accurate that it even influenced real-life religious leaders involved in the actual conclave to select a new Pope. This group included Prevost himself, who has now ascended to the papacy as Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV is a gamer, it turns out. Photo by Christopher Furlong/Gett

In his conversation with NBC, John Prevost shared insights from his last chat with his brother before the conclave. They discussed their daily gaming routine, playing Wordle and Words with Friends together. Amidst these casual talks, John asked if Robert had watched Conclave for any tips on the upcoming papal election.

"He had just finished watching the movie Conclave," John revealed. "So he knew how to behave. So, it's that kind of stuff [that we talk about] — I just wanted to take his mind off of [the upcoming conclave]. Laugh about something."