On Saturday, July 5, Pope Leo XIV welcomed visitors from across Europe and the UK to the Vatican as part of the Jubilee Year celebrations.
But for one fan, the day turned into a once-in-a-lifetime moment, when the Pope signed his Pokémon card.
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| Image Credit: Vatican Media |
Yes, really.
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The visitor brought along a Reverse Holo Popplio card to the meet-and-greet, where guests can have items blessed or offer gifts.
He thought the card’s name, Popplio - sounded charmingly similar to "Pope Leo," and decided to take a chance.
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| Image Credit: ReptileCake |
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“I asked him to sign my Reverse Holo Popplio card, and he seemed pretty chill,” the fan later wrote on Reddit.
“He even chuckled while signing it. It just felt really nice to be around him.”
The unexpected moment caught the internet’s attention after the fan shared a photo of the card, complete with the Pope’s signature.
“I only had a ballpoint pen on hand,” he noted, explaining the smudged autograph.
When asked if he’d consider selling or grading the card, the fan was clear: “Absolutely not. I’ll never get rid of it. It’s my personal artefact, and I’ll cherish it in a sleeve and a one-touch UV slab.”
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He added, “I don’t want to grade it, it’s just a funny, wholesome memory that His Holiness shared with me. That’s worth more than any monetary value.”
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