New Pope Watches Conclave Movie, Plays Games While Awaiting Conclave

If you've ever been curious about how a prospective Pope spends their free time, you're in for a surprise. According to a close family member, the recently elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, enjoys leisure activities just like many of us—playing games and watching movies during his downtime.

As we reported earlier this week, Edward Berger's thrilling papal drama, Conclave, captivated audiences last year. The film's depiction of the papal election process was so compelling and accurate that it caught the attention of real-life religious leaders, including those who participated in the recent conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV. The movie's realistic portrayal even prompted some to seek guidance from it.

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

In a recent interview with NBC, Pope Leo XIV's older brother, John Prevost, shared insights from their last conversation before the conclave. The discussion included their daily gaming routine, playing word games like Wordle and Words with Friends together. John also asked if his brother 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."