Pope Leo XIV dives into the internet at night and studies German using the educational platform Duolingo. This information comes from a report from Italy.
According to the report, after his enthronement he used the real nickname Robert Prevo during visits to Duolingo to master German. One day a Duolingo user addressed him on the platform:
“Holy Father, it’s three o’clock in the morning – what are you doing?”
– a Duolingo user
Since then, there has been no official confirmation from the Vatican.
In an interview, the pope’s brother said that Leo XIV is indeed studying German now – they play Wordle every day.
“I have no doubt, because he’s currently studying German”
– the pope’s brother
The brother also confirmed that the Holy Father may not sleep at night: sometimes he wakes up before six and replaces the night hours with other activities, such as Wordle.
“He wakes up even before six. I know that if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he plays Words with Friends, and I tell him: ‘What are you doing, playing at three o’clock?’. And he can’t fall asleep”
– John Prevo
The pope already speaks English (from the United States), Spanish, Italian, and French, and also a bit of Portuguese. By the way, Duolingo features a leading animated character – the green owl. In Scripture the owl appears in contexts of ruin, devastation and loneliness, and in the Old Testament it is associated with evil. Religious websites Credo, Bible Hub, and Sound of Heaven highlight this stance, citing a Bible verse.
This material demonstrates how modern online learning platforms can enter the lives of prominent figures and become part of their everyday life and cross-cultural exchange.
How online education affects the lives of famous people
Today platforms like Duolingo help conveniently make sense of new languages and integrate learning into daily life, even when it concerns public figures. Such stories emphasize that learning can be an engaging part of everyday life, not just a separate activity.