Pope Leo XIV Hung Up on by Chicago Bank Employee

Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff formerly known as Robert Prevost, was hung up on by a bank employee in his hometown last summer while attempting to update his account details from the Vatican.

The incident occurred about two months after Leo's election in May, as the new pope sought to change his address and phone number to reflect his residence in Rome. According to accounts from his longtime friend, Reverend Tom McCarthy, and his brother, John Prevost, Leo handled the call personally without assistance from a secretary, answering all security questions correctly, including his account number, Social Security number and former address.

The employee insisted on an in-person visit to a Chicago branch to complete the changes. Leo explained that was not feasible. In McCarthy's retelling to a Catholic gathering in Illinois, the pope then said, "Would it matter to you if I told you I'm Pope Leo?" Prevost recounted a similar exchange during a joint call, telling CNN that he intervened by saying, "You're talking to my brother who's in Rome right now. You're speaking with the pope." In both versions, the employee dismissed the claim as a prank and ended the call.