Maybe an upcoming Wordle puzzle will include the word PAPAL. On Thursday, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen the first American pope ever, taking the papal name Pope Leo XIV. Although he spent years of his ministry in Peru, he might just have some things in common with his fellow Americans. According to an interview with his brother John, who lives in Illinois, the new pope enjoy playing the New York Times game Wordle as well as the Scrabble-like game Words With Friends. And yes, he has seen the 2024 movie Conclave, which focuses on a fictional papal election.
NBC Chicago spoke to the new pope’s brother, who’s understandably overwhelmed. John Prevost said he talked to his brother on Tuesday before the conclave started, and asked Robert Prevost, who was then still a cardinal, if he’d seen the Conclave film. And indeed he had.
“He had just finished watching the movie Conclave,” John Prevost told NBC Chicago. “I wanted to take his mind off of (the actual conclave) and laugh about something. Because this is now an awesome responsibility.”
Read more: How to Stream Conclave
John Prevost also said his chat with his brother including playing Wordle and Words with Friends. “And this is a regular thing,” he said.
Read more: We Rank All The Letters of the Alphabet For Wordle Use
Wordle is the New York Times’ online game where players are given six chances to guess a five-letter word. (CNET posts the answers to Wordle and other NYT puzzles daily.) Words with Friends is another word game, but more like Scrabble, and allows for back-and-forth play between two friends. Or brothers. Or a soon-to-be pope and his brother.
Read more: Wordle Players, Use Our Tip Sheet to Find Your Next Favorite Starter Word
A representative for the New York Times didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The pope’s brother also set the Holy Father’s Chicago baseball allegiance straight. Although the Chicago Cubs tried to claim him on social media, his brother confirmed that the pope is from the South Side of Chicago and is a White Sox fan.
Well, would you look at that… Congratulations to Chicago’s own Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/U5DJ7TOyDr
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 8, 2025
So when you fire up your next round of Wordle, and puzzle over those double letters, or rack your brain for a way to use the yellow letters you just can’t place, think to yourself that maybe the new pope is doing the exact same thing.
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