WATCH: Brother reveals how new Pope kept busy during voting
Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, becoming the first American elected by cardinals from around the world to lead the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion followers.
White smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel's chimney on Thursday, 8 May, signalling that cardinals locked inside had elected a new leader for the Catholic church.
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Thousands of pilgrims and curious onlookers in St Peter's Square cheered and applauded as smoke appeared and bells rang, indicating that the 2,000-year-old institution had its 267th pope.
Some 133 'Princes of the Church' from five continents—the largest conclave ever—began voting on Wednesday afternoon.
Sworn to secrecy, on pain of excommunication, their only means of communicating their progress to the outside world was by sending up smoke through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel.
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Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, had been talked about as one of the "papabili"—cardinals who qualified for the papacy—and as someone who could defend and further Francis's legacy.
However, the new Pope did not have the most relaxing time awaiting the results.
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In an NBC Chicago interview his brother, John Prevost, explained how he tried to help his sibling keep his mind off the voting process.
According to John, the pair spent some time talking and playing games on the phone.
John even told Leo to watch 'Conclave' before the big event "to get an idea of how it works".
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Watch the video below to find out if the new Pope has seen the Oscar-nominated film:
For a more dramatised version of similar events, watch the trailer for 'Conclave' below:
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Main image courtesy of AFP