Pope Leo gave five-word hint that he was going to be elected in telling phone call before conclave

All eyes were on the Vatican this week as the world watched on to see when the new Bishop of Rome would be appointed following the passing of the former Pope Francis on Easter Monday (21 April).

It took just a little over 24 hours since the new papal election began, for the College of Cardinals to eventually land upon a successor for Francis with the news announced on Thursday (8 May) that the likes of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost - who chose Pope Leo as his papal name - is now the new Head of the Catholic Church.

However, the night before the conclave that decided he would be the next pope, Pope Leo gave a five-word hint that he thought was going to be elected in a telling phone call to his older brother.

The new pope's older brother, John Prevost, has opened up about the phone call he had with the then-Cardinal ahead of being locked in the Sistine Chapel with the other 132 cardinals on Wednesday (7 May).

Speaking to the Daily Herald from his home in Chicago, John revealed that the soon-to-be pope asked him: "What should my name be?" which is a pretty prophetic if you ask us.

"We started rattling off names just to rattle off names. I told him it shouldn’t be Leo because it will be the 13th," John continued, adding: "But he must’ve done some research to see it’s actually the 14th."

Pope Leo, 69, was announced the 267th Bishop of Rome yesterday (8 May) (Christopher Furlong / Staff / Getty Images)

John also opened up about his reaction to hearing the news that his younger brother was now named the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church, saying: "Not really an idea that it could happen, but there was a chance, an inkling.

"But I really was just as surprised as everyone when they said his name."

Now, Pope Leo - who is considered a moderate when it comes to 21st century Catholic beliefs - is the first pope to hail from the United States.

He also shares many of the same sentiments as his predecessor in that he's passionate about helping migrants and the poor, and has even previously condemned Donald Trump for his immigration policies.

Why Pope Leo XIV chose his name

Pope Leo with his older brothers Louis (Left) and John (right) (Courtesy of John Prevost via Daily Herald)

He has chosen the name Leo, as per a long-standing papal tradition. Therefore, he'll be known as Pope Leo XIV.

Leo is the fifth most popular moniker chosen by leaders of the Catholic Church.

The last pope to bear the name was Leo XIII who held the position from 1878 to 1903.

Given the fact that Leo XIII was a founding figure of the Catholic social justice tradition, opting for the name Leo could be a nod to strong leadership and doctrinal clarity, with some experts claiming it could indicate a leader who is strong during a time of global crisis.