Pope Leo’s photo of him accepting a gift from a stranger is causing quite the stir. The newly elected Pope has been ever since he was appointed as the bishop of Rome. He has visited the 4 major basilicas, met up with world leaders, and interacted with countless members of the public. Here’s why netizens are alarmed about his recent interaction.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was appointed as the Pope on May 8. The Chicago-born became the first American Pope in history when he took on the title. The Pope has already made significant moves since taking on the title of the bishop.
Soon after his inaugural mass, he met up with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Marco Rubio. The three discussed a working relationship between the Vatican and America. The group spoke about the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations and the violence in the Gaza Strip while discussing how the Pope could play a pivotal role in the negotiations.
Vance noted how the Pope has the capacity to “convene and influence” in these matters despite not having an army. Following the meeting, the Pope has called for peace in Ukraine, and even asked for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
He recently travelled to St. Mary Major, where he offered a prayer at Pope Francis’ tomb. In just a few weeks of being the Pope, Leo has interacted with countless members of the public. One such interaction with a member of the public is causing concern amongst catholics around the world.
The moment came when the Pope was greeting people while being driven around in the popemobile. A person from the crowd threw a cloth doll at the Pope, which he impressively caught with one hand.
Someone knitted a Pope and threw it at the Pope and the Pope caught it with one hand and waved it around and that’s all I needed to see today 🥰 #PopeLeoXIV pic.twitter.com/Kdk8X8SlPY
— Niamh Begley (@NIAMHBL) May 29, 2025
The cloth doll seemed to be a replica of Pope Leo himself. The doll donned the same ensemble that the Pope did when he made his first appearance as the Pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The seemingly harmless and wholesome moment gained traction online as people started looking at the situation with how “unsafe” the situation was. “Adorable but his security is definitely slipping,” one netizen wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “This is honestly lovely to see but what is his security doing? Seriously,” while a third remarked: “That could be dangerous….” another added.
Someone made a Pope Leo XIV toy and threw it to him! pic.twitter.com/ChQYk6VPSG
— cassie 🇻🇦 (@CatholicCassie) May 28, 2025
“Thank god that’s all it was thrown at him,” a third noted. Several others noted how “dangerous” it was for the Pope to do what he did. “Bet it freaked out his security detail,” another netizen noted. A fourth speculated by writing, “That’s so dangerous, though. Why are they letting ppl toss things at the Pope? Suppose it hid a grenade?”
The hysteria over the Pope’s safety comes after he has made several other public appearances this month. He recently held as mass at Saint Mary Major where he urged catholics to practice their faith in Mother Mary. “This is a wonderful moment to renew our devotion to Mary,” he noted at the basilica.
Scroll down to see pictures of Pope Leo XIV.
