Does the film Conclave help explain how he won? The cardinals were locked in the Sistine Chapel for just over 24 hours before electing the new pope yesterday. Some think the hit film told us what to expect.
First American pope ever is elected

Glossary
Cardinals - Leading officials in the Roman Catholic Church. They are nominated by the Pope, and choose the next Pope together.
Ideologies - Sets of beliefs and values that people hold, often related to politics or society.
Politicking - The activity of trying to persuade or even force others to vote for a particular political party or candidate.
Conservative - Holding traditional values, and in a political context, favouring policies such as private ownership.
Liberal - Liberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty.
Vatican - Where the Pope lives in Italy.
College of Cardinals - The chief ecclesiastical body of the Roman Catholic Church, electing and advising the pope and comprising all of the cardinals of the church.