The story is described by The New York Times, citing a priest from Illinois, Tom McCarthy, who has been friends with the Pope for years. As McCarthy recounted, the conversation took place two months after Leo XIV's ingress. The Pope called the American bank to inform about the change in his contact details. He introduced himself by his name: Robert Prevost.
The pope answered the verification questions correctly, but the bank employee said it wasn't enough — and that he had to appear in person at a bank branch in the United States. -I can't do this. After all, I answered all the control questions, said the pope.
Leo XIV tried to explain why he could not come to the unit. — Would it matter if I said I was Pope Leo? he asked.
At this point, the bank employee hung up. It is not known how the case ended and whether the pope managed to update his contact details remotely.
Leo XIV was elected pope in May 2025, shortly after the death of previous Pope Francis. He is the first pope in history from the United States.
