Pope Leo XIV Embraces Social Media with Message of Peace
Pope Leo XIV has taken to social media to spread a message of peace, marking his first official post on Tuesday since assuming the papacy. The pontiff is determined to maintain an active presence on social media platforms such as Instagram and X, as announced by the Dicastery for Communication in a recent press release.
In his inaugural post on Instagram, Pope Leo XIV echoed the words he first uttered to the world upon becoming pope. “Peace be with you all!” he began, accompanied by photos capturing the early days of his papacy following the passing of his predecessor, Pope Francis. The post continued with a heartfelt message: “This is the first greeting spoken by the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, and among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.”
The Vatican has confirmed that posts from Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy will be archived, while the new X account associated with Pope Leo XIV has yet to become active at the time of writing. Unlike previous popes, Pope Leo XIV is expected to personally curate and publish his social media content.
Before ascending to the papacy, Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, sporadically utilized an X account established in 2011. After a period of inactivity, he recently returned to the platform to express disapproval of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and remarks made by Vice President JD Vance. The tensions surrounding immigration had also strained the relationship between Pope Francis and the previous administration in its final months.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
As Pope Leo XIV embraces social media as a means of connecting with a global audience, his message of peace resonates across digital platforms. Followers can anticipate regular updates and reflections from the first American-born pope, who continues to inspire faith leaders and believers worldwide.
For more news and updates, stay connected with Pope Leo XIV on his official social media accounts. Let the message of peace and unity guide us all in these challenging times.
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This rewritten article captures the essence of Pope Leo XIV’s social media debut while integrating seamlessly into a WordPress platform for easy access and readability.
