On May 13, Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American Pope, publicly entered the world of social media, an important milestone for the Catholic Church in the digital world. His first Instagram posting was a peace message, reiterating what he said in his first public speech after winning the election on May 8. “Peace be with you all!” he posted, borrowing from the greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd.

He went on to say, “I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, and among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.”

Pope Leo XIV’s Involvement in Social Media

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV has decided to keep an active role on social media via the papal accounts on X and Instagram. The aim is to be in touch with individuals across the globe, spreading spiritual teachings and messages of hope online. Pope Francis had been using social media before, where his almost-daily posts on Instagram and X kept his community in touch with his teachings of peace, social justice, and care for creation.

The social media activity of the former pontiffs, especially Pope Francis, contributed towards modernizing communication at the Vatican. Pope Francis’ tweets and Instagram posts were excerpts from his speeches, pictures of public activities, and inspirational messages on topics of global importance. His outreach in the digital world was accompaniment in the form of short inspirational messages to his followers during his time as pope.

Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope

Pope Leo XIV, whose birth name was Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is the first Pope from America in history. Yet his close connections to Latin America render him equally a cardinal of Peru, where he worked as a missionary for decades. His papal name, selected with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), is in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who led the church through the Industrial Revolution.

“I chose to take the name Leo XIV,” Pope Leo XIV said, “because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.” He added, “In our own day, the church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”

Pope Leo XIV’s application of AI and his focus on its effects spotlights the contemporary issues of the Church in the digital era. His talk to the issue of AI identifies with his visionary approach to the changing world order, including calls for controlled technological growth.

Peering Ahead to His Papacy

Pope Leo XIV’s acceptance of social media and AI is also an indication of his aspiration to provide for the demands of contemporary times while preserving the fundamental teachings of the Church. His papacy will certainly be characterized by a distinctive combination of tradition and innovation, taking advantage of new technologies in order to keep the Church relevant in today’s ever-connected environment.