Pope Leo XIV watched ‘Conclave’ to “know how to behave”
Before claiming the title of Pope of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV watched the recent Conclave movie to “know how to behave”, his brother has revealed.
Previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV is the first ever North American pontiff. If followers of the election worldwide found this surprising, his brother was extremely befuddled.
Speaking with NBC News, his 71-year-old brother revealed that in the run-up to the event, Pope Leo watched the Academy Award-winning movie “so he knew how to behave.” The new Pope revealed this after his brother asked the question almost jokingly, “because I wanted to take his mind off of it, laugh about something, because this is now an awesome responsibility.”
The film’s newfound cultural power skyrocketed just after Pope Francis’ passing, too. Viewership spiked 283 per cent on April 21st.
Far Out named Conclave as the best movie of 2024, writing, “The film is gripping from minute one, carrying the audience along with intrigue, great acting, and Volker Bertelmann’s pulsing, stirring score. Ralph Fiennes is customarily superb as the constantly conflicted Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, and he is supported by a murderer’s row of character actors doing some of their best work.”
Though most Vatican analysts assessed the leading contenders as Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Luis Antonio Tagle, a cardinal from the Philippines, Prevost had a “slight feeling” his brother might take the position.
“It’s totally unreal, totally surreal, and it’s a tremendous, tremendous thing to take in, but it’s something to be very proud of,” he said. The Pope’s brother, Mr Prevost, had a long career as a Catholic teacher and headmaster in Chicago.
The brothers also often played games such as Wordle and Words with Friends together. “It’s something to keep his mind off of life in the real world,” he said.
The real world is knocking on the new Pope’s door already. When asked what his political stance might be, his brother highlighted one major issue in America. “I know he’s not happy with what’s going on with immigration,” he revealed. “I know that for a fact. How far he’ll go with it is only one’s guess, but he won’t just sit back. I don’t think he’ll be the silent one.”
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