Pope Leo XIV Trades WhatsApp Car Advice With Spanish Friend Over 1 Failing Citroën

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 9

WhatsApp messages showed Pope Leo XIV interrupting work on a major artificial-intelligence statement last month to help friend Armando Jesús Lovera diagnose a dashboard warning on his Citroën.
A photo of a flashing catalytic-converter alert prompted Leo to ask whether the car was still moving, how far Lovera had left to drive home in Spain and whether the engine temperature was rising.
Leo then urged him to drive carefully and monitor the engine, adding practical advice that the car might run poorly at low speed but circulate oil normally at higher speed.
The exchange offered a glimpse of the pope’s long personal ties: Lovera, an editor at a Catholic publishing group, has known him for decades and recently published a book on their friendship.

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