A routine customer service call turned into an unforgettable moment after a Chicago bank employee reportedly hung up on Pope Leo XIV, believing the call was fake. The unusual incident surfaced just days after Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church, creating a story that quickly caught attention across the United States.
According to the pope’s brother, John Prevost, the issue began when Pope Leo XIV attempted to update his personal banking information after relocating to the Vatican. The newly elected pontiff needed to change both his address and phone number linked to his Chicago bank account. During an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront,” John Prevost explained how the situation unfolded.
“I said, ‘OK, I’ll get the number, the bank, and we’ll call the bank,’” Prevost recalled during the interview.
Verification Questions Led to Confusion
Instagram | sportsillustrated | Prevost told CNN the pope accurately shared his personal banking and identification details.
Once connected to the bank representative, Pope Leo XIV reportedly introduced himself as Robert Prevost and explained that he had recently moved. The teller then proceeded with a series of identity verification questions.
John Prevost shared that the pope answered every request correctly, including his account number, Social Security number, and previous address details. “There were about four or five different questions. He gave them all to her,” Prevost told CNN.
The conversation became more complicated when the bank employee informed the pope that the update could only be completed in person at the Chicago branch. Pope Leo XIV reportedly tried to explain why appearing at the bank was not possible.
Rev. Tom McCarthy, a longtime friend of the pope, later repeated the story during a Catholic gathering in Naperville, Illinois. His version closely matched the account shared by John Prevost, though each remembered slightly different details from the exchange.
“You’re Speaking With the Pope”
As the call continued, John Prevost eventually attempted to clarify the situation for the bank employee.
“It went on so long, I said, ‘You know, ma’am, it might be helpful for you to know you’re talking to my brother who’s in Rome right now,’” Prevost said. “‘You’re speaking with the pope.’”
Instagram | pontifex | A Chicago bank employee hung up on Pope Leo XIV after mistaking his official account update call for a prank.
The response from the teller was immediate and unexpected.
“She said, ‘Oh, really?’ And hung up,” Prevost explained.
The employee reportedly believed the entire conversation was a prank call. In the end, another church representative had to visit the bank personally to complete the requested account changes for Pope Leo XIV.
The unusual misunderstanding has since become a widely discussed moment tied to the early days of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. Rev. Tom McCarthy summed up the situation with a remark that many found both amusing and unforgettable.
“Could you imagine being known as the woman who hung up on the pope?” McCarthy said.
What started as a simple banking request ultimately turned into one of the most talked-about customer service stories connected to the Vatican in recent years.
