Here’s a concise update based on recent reports.
A pope named Pope Leo XIV reportedly had a banking interaction where a customer service representative hung up on him while updating his bank details. This incident has been covered by multiple outlets in early May 2026.[1][5][10]
The event occurred after the pope identified himself, but the bank representative asked him to visit a branch to complete the changes, according to accounts shared by a priest and reported by outlets like The New York Times and others.[2][1]
In at least one version of the story, another cleric intervened and the bank president was contacted to resolve the update, highlighting a rare mix of high-profile status and routine banking procedures.[1][2]
Citations:
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, got hung up on by customer service while updating his U.S. bank account from the Vatican. A relatable, down-to-earth moment.
www.audacy.comBefore leading more than a billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Leo XIV was just another customer trying to update his bank details — and even saying “I’m the Pope” reportedly did not help.
www.moneycontrol.comPope Leo XIV, who is US-born, had a bank employee hang up on him after she believed his call to change his address and phone number was a prank. The incident occurred two months into his papacy when he attempted to update his details with his Chicago bank from the Vatican. The teller told Leo that he would need to travel to the bank in person to make the change, according to his brother, John Prevost. Mr Prevost told the sceptical teller that she was speaking to the Pope, 'who's in Rome right...
www.independent.co.ukBefore leading more than a billion Catholics worldwide, Pope Leo XIV was just another customer trying to update his bank details — and even saying “I’m the Pope” reportedly did not help.
www.moneycontrol.comFather Tom McCarthy said a bank representative hangs up pope Leo after he called his South Chicago bank to change his banking information about two months after moving overseas. Robert Prevost identified himself on the call, asked whether it would matter that he was Pope Leo, and was told to go in p…
www.el-balad.comSpoiler alert: There was no miracle.
www.nytimes.comPope Leo XIV, the first American pope, got hung up on by customer service while updating his U.S. bank account from the Vatican. A relatable, down-to-earth moment. 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA
www.audacy.comPope Leo XIV, the first American pope, got hung up on by customer service while updating his U.S. bank account from the Vatican. A relatable, down-to-earth moment. TALK 980am
www.audacy.comAfter calling his hometown bank, Pope Leo was hung up on by a customer representative following a series of security questions and revealing his identity.
people.com