Pope Leo XIV comforts 13 priests from southern Lebanon with a surprise video call from Rome
The pontiff told 13 priests he was praying for them and urged peace as attacks and tensions continue despite a ceasefire, officials said.
- Last year, Pope Leo XIV attempted to update his bank account details by phone, but a customer service representative hung up on him after he answered all security questions correctly.
- Chicago-Born Leo called his former bank to update personal information about two months after his election nearly one year ago, according to his longtime friend, the Rev. Tom McCarthy.
- The representative insisted Leo appear in person to change his details, prompting him to ask, "Would it matter to you if I told you I'm Pope Leo?" McCarthy recounted in a video shared on social media.
- After a priest with connections to the bank president intervened, the bank made an exception to its in-person policy and updated Leo's phone number.
- McCarthy remarked, "Could you imagine being known as the woman who hung up on the Pope?" highlighting the absurdity of the incident despite the eventual resolution.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Pope Leo XIV comforts 13 priests from Lebanon with surprise video call
BEIRUT: Pope Leo XIV surprised 13 priests from southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, by joining a video call from Rome on Wednesday, telling them they were in his prayers and that he hoped peace would soon prevail along the tense frontier. The Lebanese Catholic and Maronite priests were asked to attend an online morning meeting with the Vatican’s ambassador to
No one is sheltered from bad customer service, not even the pope.
The new pontiff identified himself as Robert Prevost and said he wanted to change the phone number and address the bank had registered. The pope answered the security questions correctly, but the employee's answer left him speechless.
Even Pope Leo XIV can't get good service — bank agent allegedly hangs up on pontiff over Vatican phone number dispute
Customer service frustrations are nearly universal in 2026, with long hold times, rigid verification rules, and automated systems leaving callers irritated. And according to a viral account circulating online, even the pope is not exempt from the modern headache of dealing with phone-based banking support. The story was shared in a TikTok video posted by NICOLE (@cocodee0719), which features Father Tom McCarthy recounting an anecdote involving t…
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