Bank Customer Service Hangs Up on Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV was hung up on by a customer service representative at a bank in Chicago while attempting to update his personal account information, according to reports from USA TODAY and Gaudium Press.

The incident occurred in 2025, approximately two months into the pontiff’s papacy. The details of the encounter were shared by the Rev. Tom McCarthy, an Augustinian priest who has known the pope for 43 years, during an event held in Illinois on April 29, 2026.

According to McCarthy, Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, contacted the Chicago-based bank to change his residential address and phone number. After the pope successfully answered a series of security questions to verify his identity, the customer service representative informed him that the requested changes could not be made over the phone.

The representative told the pope, "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. It says here you have to come in person," according to McCarthy.

Despite the pope’s attempts to persuade the employee to make an exception, the representative remained firm. In a final effort to resolve the issue, the pontiff revealed his identity to the employee.

The pope asked the representative, "Would it matter to you if I told you I'm Pope Leo?"

The revelation did not lead to a resolution. McCarthy stated that the employee responded by hanging up the phone.

Following the unsuccessful call, the pope sought assistance from the Rev. Bernie Scianna, another Augustinian priest. Scianna eventually established contact with the president of the bank.

Initially, the bank’s leadership maintained the institution’s policy, reiterating that account changes required the customer to appear in person. The situation changed only after Scianna suggested that the pontiff would move his account to a different financial institution.

McCarthy recounted the response as: "Well, then the pope is going to move his account to a different bank."

Faced with the possibility of losing the high-profile client, the bank relented and updated the pope’s phone number. Once the change was confirmed, the pope requested, "And don't give the phone number out."

Rev. McCarthy provided additional personal context regarding the pope’s character and preferences during the Illinois event, noting that the pontiff enjoys pizza, Peeps, and the Chicago White Sox.