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
"Viva il Papa": Born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, Leo XIV spent 10 years as a pastor in Peru and is both a Peruvian and an American citizen. Glossary
Pope - The bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.
Cardinals - Leading officials in the Roman Catholic Church. They are nominated by the Pope, and choose the next Pope together.
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.
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.