Pope Leo XIV is hung up on by bank customer service
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 5
Pope Leo XIV is hung up on by bank customer service
7 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 5
The Chicago-born pontiff was trying to update his phone number and address when a representative said he had to appear in person, despite answering security questions correctly.
Rev. Tom McCarthy, a longtime friend, recounted the episode at a Catholic gathering in Naperville, Illinois, saying the call ended after Leo asked whether revealing he was pope would help.
McCarthy later confirmed the story, adding that another priest with ties to the bank president helped resolve the issue; the Vatican did not immediately comment.
If a bank’s security protocol hangs up on the Pope, is the system broken or working as designed?
Why must global citizens, even the Pope, rely on personal connections to overcome modern banking bureaucracy?