Pope Leo has delighted Pokémon fans by blessing and signing a Pokémon card during a Danish youth group's visit to the Vatican on 5 July.
He was presented with two Popplio Pokémon cards due to the similarity in the names. The Holy Father blessed a Reverse Holo version and signed a regular version with a ballpoint pen.
Tri Nguyen, whose Pokémon card was signed by the Pope, described how the Pope’s “joyous face and speech touched my heart” and said it was “a great culmination of our pilgrimage”.
Nguyen, 28, who was born and raised in Denmark and lives in Aarhus, is of Vietnamese origin. A cradle Catholic, he is a board member of the Danish youth association Danmarks Unge Katolikker and chairman of its local chapter in Aarhus. He is also a member of his parish council.
