Danica Davidson
July 9, 2025 
Is the recently appointed pope, Pope Leo XIV, a fan of Pokémon? At the very least, he found it amusing when a young Catholic asked him to sign a Popplio card — and he did indeed autograph it!
The reason for that particular card is simply that Popplio sounds very close to “Pope Leo.” A young person from Denmark’s Diocese of Copenhagen, who was part of a group visiting the Vatican, reported that he said to the pope: “Your Holiness! It is a great pleasure to meet you, and thank you for your speech. I have brought you a gift!” And then the card was brought out: “It’s a Popplio, it sounds like Pope Leo!”
According to him, this got the pope to laugh. At first he figured the pope was just trying to be polite, but it appeared to be more than that when Leo wanted the guards around him to check out the card. Getting more daring, the young person pulled out a different Popplio card and inquired, “And can you sign a copy for me?”
Pope Leo XIV responded, “Of course!”
Here is the autographed card, which the fan plans to keep for the rest of his life.
The fan remarked, “I don’t want to grade it, it’s just a funny joke that his Holiness indulged in with me, that’s worth more than any monetary value can satisfy.”
The Vatican has shown some interest in reaching young people through Japanese (or at least Japanese-inspired) pop culture, which is why last year it unveiled its own anime mascot, Luce. Luce is meant to be a pilgrim with blue hair and a cross. However, after her reveal, the big story the news picked up was not so much that the Vatican had an anime mascot, but more that the Vatican’s anime mascot almost immediately became an internet hentai sensation. Maybe Pope Leo will have better luck with Pokémon.
Source: Polygon
Image: Vatican Media
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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