Hold the Incense, Is That… Wordle? Meet Pope Leo XIV, The Pontiff with a Gaming Habit

Well, file this under “Revelations That Rocked the Vatican (and a Few Online Word Game Servers).” Just when you thought papal news would be all solemn pronouncements and ancient rituals, along comes Pope Leo XIV, formerly Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost, and the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church. And what’s the anointing oil on this new chapter? Apparently, it’s a penchant for Wordle and Words with Friends. Yes, you read that right. The Pope. He games.

Lest you imagine His Holiness speedrunning Doom slaughter maps or leading late-night raids in World of Warcraft (though, what a mental image!), the details are a tad more… well, casual. Speaking to NBC5 Chicago just before the papal conclave whisked him away to make some rather significant life choices, the new Pope’s brother, John Prevost, spilled the holy beans. “First, we do Wordle, because this is a regular thing,” he said. “Then we do Words with Friends. It’s something to keep his mind off life in the real world…”

“Keep his mind off life in the real world.” Suddenly, the pressures of the papacy seem almost relatable. Who among us hasn’t sought solace in a five-letter word or a triple-word score when reality felt a bit too… real?

Now, to be fair, casually swiping letters on a phone doesn’t exactly qualify Pope Leo XIV for an eSports contract. But it does amusingly place the 69-year-old pontiff squarely within the 44 percent of American Baby Boomer men who regularly play video games and the 15 percent of Americans aged 55 and over who have specifically dabbled in Wordle. He’s not just leading a billion faithful; he’s part of a demographic. Who knew?

This foray into digital diversions marks a rather noticeable generational tick in the papal timeline. Pope Francis, his predecessor, once warned young people about the allure of “a sofa that promises us hours of comfort so we can escape to the world of video games.” Before him, Pope Benedict XVI specifically called out games that “exalt violence.” One imagines their papal IT support didn’t get many requests for Wi-Fi strong enough to handle a quick Scrabble-esque fix.

To find a more game-positive pontiff, you’d have to go back to Pope John Paul II, who in 2000 reportedly gave a papal thumbs-up to Pokémon, praising its “inventive imagination” and “ties of intense friendship.” Perhaps he saw the early potential for community, or maybe he just really liked Pikachu.

As the first Baby Boomer Pope, Leo XIV was a young man of 20 when the home version of Pong first pinged its way into American living rooms. For him, video games aren’t some terrifying new tech frontier; they’re just another part of the cultural wallpaper he grew up with, much like for the increasing number of politicians (Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his reported Dreamcast habit, or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recalling Super Mario 64 sessions) who can probably tell a warp pipe from a voting booth.

Of course, while Leo XIV might be the first Pope confirmed to be actively playing, he’s not the first to have a video game enter his orbit. That honor goes to Pope Francis, who in 2016 was inexplicably gifted a Steam key for the quirky indie RPG Undertale by streamer MatPat during a meeting with YouTube stars. The moment became an instant meme, though it’s unconfirmed if His Holiness ever actually battled any friendly monsters.

So, what does this all mean? Does the College of Cardinals now require a minimum Words With Friends ELO score? Will confessionals soon feature an option to repent for using too many obscure two-letter words? Probably not.

But in a world grappling with immense challenges, there’s something disarmingly human about the image of the Pope unwinding with a word puzzle. And who knows? While there are certainly serious societal shifts that need more than a well-placed “Q” on a triple-letter score, perhaps this is a sign of… something. If anyone could get the Pope hooked on, say, Minecraft – imagine, a faithful recreation of St. Peter’s Basilica block by painstaking block! – Maybe, just maybe, those declining church attendance numbers might see a surprising new influx of people eager to join the pontiff’s server. A digital reformation, if you will.

For now, while the world gets to know Pope Leo XIV, the planet’s gamers can perhaps share a knowing, slightly smug smile. One of ours (sort of) made it to the very top. Next up: Papal decrees delivered via Twitch stream? We can only hope. And pray he remembers to charge his phone before the next Wordle drops.