Today, almost three months since the election of Pope Leo XIV, the media reality defies those expectations. Apart from Catholic outlets such as the National Catholic Register, which have naturally covered him with the intensity and enthusiasm demanded by their mission and audience, Leo has appeared about as rarely in the news as a new pope can.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday received a rock star’s welcome at the Vatican’s festival of Catholic influencers — priests, nuns and ordinary faithful who use their social media presence to preach and teach the faith — as he urged them to ensure that human relations don’t suffer with the spread of digital ecosystems and artificial intelligence.

Pope Leo XIV has surprised tens of thousands of young Catholics by showing up unexpectedly at a Holy Year welcome ceremony