Pope Leo XIV made his initial foray into social media on Tuesday, sharing a message of peace as he looks to keep an engaging presence on platforms like X and Instagram.
In a press statement, he mentioned the importance of “maintaining an active social media presence through the official Pope accounts on X and Instagram.”
This marked his first post after assuming the Vatican’s official Instagram and X accounts. He echoed his inaugural words spoken to the public as Pope.
President Trump described having the first American Pope Leo XIV as an “honor” and expressed his happiness about it.
“I’m with you guys!” he began in his Instagram update.
The post included several photos from his first day as Pope, following the passing of Pope Francis last month at 88.
“This is the first greeting spoken by the rising Christ, the Good Shepherd,” his post continued. “I hope this greeting of peace finds a place in your heart, among your family, and in all corners of the world.”
The Vatican has archived the past 12 years of posts from Pope Francis. Meanwhile, the new X account seemed inactive by Wednesday morning.
Previous Popes typically did not manage their posts personally; these were curated by the Vatican.
The first American-born pope has inspired faith leaders nationwide.
Before his papacy, the former Cardinal Robert Prevast had sporadically posted to his X account since 2011. Since July 2023, he has found it challenging to address comments made by Vice President JD Vance, who has been at odds with Francis on immigration policies after returning to social media earlier this year.
