When Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, the global fishing expedition began. Journalists avidly trawled through his life, turning over every stone: his CV, rare interviews and, inevitably, the modern oracle: his X (formerly Twitter) account.
True to form, the media quickly zeroed in on predictable fare: recent posts criticising Donald Trump’s deportations to El Salvador or taking issue with Senator JD Vance’s attempts to set rankings on Christian love. Serious stuff, suitably papal.
But had anyone bothered scrolling back to May 2020 – well before he earned his cardinal’s hat – Prevost’s timeline would have revealed something delightfully out of papal character.
Nestled among sober spiritual pronouncements and righteous political commentary, there it was: Charlie Brown and Snoopy, staring serenely across a lake.
Charlie Brown, ever the optimist, remarks: “But Snoopy, there are many intelligent people!”
Snoopy, wiser and perhaps more cynical, replies dryly: “Of course there are, but most of them are asymptomatic!”
As journalists strained their eyes reading dense pastoral letters, who would have guessed that a cartoon dog offered clearer insight into the new Pope’s mindset?
Now, to be fair, a cartoon repost is not quite what one would look for from a bishop, much less a Pope-in-waiting. Popes, after all, are supposed to be serious men doing serious things – certainly not browsing social media for life wisdom from cartoon dogs.
Yet here we are, confronted with Pope Leo XIV’s secret Snoopy side.
But this subtle comic jab hits closer to home than any political tirade. It gently mocks our cherished assumption that humanity is fundamentally wise, being created in God’s image.
In 2025, even more than in 2020, Snoopy’s diagnosis – intelligence as a mostly asymptomatic condition – rings uncomfortably true. Common sense may indeed be the least common of all the senses.
Perhaps this humorous repost reveals more about Pope Leo’s perspective on human nature than any of his solemn theological reflections ever could. The new pontiff, quietly chuckling over humanity’s folly, feels oddly reassuring.
In a world of pompous declarations, moral high horses and endless virtue signalling, a Pope who appreciates Snoopy’s dry wit seems refreshingly human.
As Pope Leo XIV settles into his role, we might find this gentle irony a welcome change. At just 69, he might be with us for decades.
That is ample time to discover if the Pope’s humour continues leaning towards Charlie Brown’s hopeful melancholy or Snoopy’s sharp wit. Or perhaps an appealing blend of both.