Pope Leo XIV has established his presence on social media, issuing his first posts on Instagram and X earlier this week.
Following his election as pontiff, Leo XIV chose the official Vatican social media accounts to communicate directly with Catholics worldwide.
On May 13, Leo XIV shared his inaugural post, echoing his first public words as Pope: “Peace be with you all!” The message, delivered in multiple languages, is drawn directly from the greeting used by the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, as stated in Leo’s post.
“I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, and among all people, wherever they may be,” the Pope added. The Instagram post, accompanied by images capturing early moments of his papacy, quickly gained significant attention, accumulating over one million likes within a day.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication confirmed that Leo XIV intends to maintain “an active social media presence” via the official @Pontifex accounts. These platforms, launched under Pope Benedict XVI and then expanded by Pope Francis, collectively reach over 50 million followers across nine languages.
Social media posts from the late Pope Francis will be preserved as a commemorative archive accessible through the Vatican’s website. The new accounts underscore Leo XIV’s continuation of digital evangelization, a tradition begun by his predecessors.
Before becoming Pope, Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in the US, had previously used social media to engage on matters of social justice and Church teachings. Upon election, he wiped his personal accounts.
The @Pontifex accounts on both Instagram and X represent the exclusive digital voices for the pontiff moving forward.
Please pray for Pope Leo XIV and his intentions! 🙏
Photo credit: CC BY-SA 4.0, Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar via Wikimedia Commons
