Pope Leo XIV has confirmed his presence on social media through the official papal accounts on X and Instagram, the Vatican Dicastery for Communication has announced. Source: NCR Online.
Pope Leo inherited the @Pontifex account on X, which had been previously managed by Pope Francis and, before him, Pope Benedict XVI.
The account, which communicates in nine languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Polish, Arabic and Latin – has amassed a following of 52 million users. Messages shared by Francis during his pontificate will be preserved in a dedicated archive section on the Vatican’s official website.
On Instagram, Pope Leo XIV will be present under the account name @Pontifex – Pope Leo XIV. This platform continues the legacy of Francis’s @Franciscus account.
In a gesture of remembrance, content from @Franciscus will remain accessible as an “Ad Memoriam” commemorative archive.
Though it has been less than a week since his election, unsubstantiated rumours had spread that Leo would be retreating from social media
The Vatican has since poured cold water on those rumours, saying Leo will maintain an “active social media presence.”
Overnight, Leo published his first Instagram post in his new account, greeting all the faithful in the world in a short message inspired by his first public appearance on May 8, that starts with “Peace be with you all!”
The Vatican’s engagement with social media began under Benedict XVI on December 12, 2012, when the @Pontifex account was launched.
It marked a historic step for the Church’s communication strategy, bringing the papal voice to a global digital audience.
Four years later, on March 19, 2016, the Vatican expanded its outreach with the creation of the @Franciscus Instagram account, offering followers visual insights into the pope’s activities and messages.
Francis used these platforms extensively, publishing about 50,000 posts across both accounts. His messages, often focused on themes of peace, social justice and environmental stewardship, resonated widely. During the height of the global pandemic in 2020, papal messages generated exceptional engagement, with 27 billion views recorded that year alone.
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Pope Leo XIV is staying on social media (NCR Online)
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Pope Leo XIV publishes first post on papal social media accounts (Vatican Media)
