Pope Leo XIV has gone viral after surprising crowds in Madrid with an unexpected hand gesture that many younger people immediately recognized.
During his first official visit to Spain on June 6, the pontiff was spotted mimicking the popular “6-7” gesture while greeting people from the popemobile, drawing smiles from onlookers and quickly spreading across social media.
The moment came just weeks after the Pope was seen learning the same gesture from a group of Catholic children at the Vatican.
While some were amused by the light-hearted interaction, others were stunned to see the head of the Catholic Church embracing a trend associated with Gen Alpha internet culture.
“Exactly the vibe you want from the Pope,” one person commented.
Pope Leo surprised crowds in Madrid by using a gesture he recently learned from children
Image credits: Michael Robinson Chávez/Getty Images
The viral moment took place during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Madrid, where he greeted thousands of people gathered along the streets as part of his week-long trip to Spain.
While riding through the city in the popemobile, the Pope appeared to mimic the now-famous “6-7” hand gesture, prompting cheers and laughter from many people in the crowd.
The trip marked his first visit to a European Union country outside Italy since becoming Pope.
During the visit, he attended large public events in Madrid and Barcelona, met young Catholics, and spoke about faith, technology, mental health, and the challenges facing younger generations.
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The Madrid gesture did not come out of nowhere.
Just weeks earlier, on May 9, Pope Leo was filmed interacting with around 1,000 Catholic children from the Archdiocese of Genoa near St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
During the gathering, several children showed him the “6-7” gesture, and the Pope smiled before copying it back to them.
The interaction quickly circulated online and became one of the most talked-about moments of his early papacy.
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Since then, Pope Leo has repeatedly shown a willingness to engage with younger audiences in ways that feel less formal than many people might expect from a pontiff.
During his trip to Spain, he joked about Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, laughed with airline pilots during a flight to Barcelona, and even poked fun at artificial intelligence after asking AI what he should tell Spanish bishops.
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anotha one pic.twitter.com/1StNvS0MLD
— expensivethrift (@expensivethrift) June 9, 2026
“If they are confronted with the question ‘Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?’ I think many will see Bad Bunny,” he joked with reporters.
“But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something.”
Pope’s hand gesture quickly generated reactions from people who had plenty to say
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“Started as a joke to vibe with the kids… now I catch myself doing the 6-7 in the mirror like it’s my signature move,” one person wrote, while another added, “Kind grandpa vibes.”
Others joked that the Pope had become just as hooked on the trend as the teenagers who popularized it.
“Yk at first you do the 6-7 ironically to relate to the kids…then you get addicted to it. Every time someone says those numbers in that order, your arms can’t help themselves. They just do it. Pope Bob is not immune to this.”
“The way his eyes lit up when he did the 67 sickens me,” another joked.
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@donrobertofiscer Papa Leone 67 🇻🇦#sixseven #67 #chiesa #prete #donroberto ♬ 67 – DJ R4
Many viewers praised Pope Leo for connecting with younger generations.
“It’s just funny and also brand new to see a pope that’s in tune with current culture and is fairly lighthearted about this.”
“It’s nice that the pope wants to make the kids happy.”
“Get Pope Leo a TikTok account,” another person wrote.
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Others pointed out that the gesture itself may seem silly, but the reaction it creates is what makes it popular.
“It’s kinda stupid, but it’s wholesome to see how happy kids get whenever someone does it. Like a universal language at this point.”
“6-7” hand gesture phrase may sound meaningless, but experts revealed that it is exactly why it caught on
Image credits: CBS Evening News
For many adults, the “6-7” trend can seem confusing because there is no universally agreed-upon meaning behind it.
The phrase, usually pronounced “six-seveeeeen,” is commonly paired with an up-and-down hand motion that resembles someone weighing two options.
It is often linked to the viral song Doot Doot (6 7) by Philadelphia rapper Skrilla and later gained popularity through videos shared by basketball player Taylen Kinney.
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Over time, however, the phrase evolved beyond its original context and became something much bigger among young people online.
According to linguist and social scientist Taylor Jones, the trend’s appeal comes partly from the fact that it no longer has a clear meaning.
“Nobody knows what it means,” South Dakota teacher Gabe Dannenbring said while describing the trend’s popularity among students. “And that’s kind of the funny thing about it.”
Jones explained that the phrase has undergone what linguists call “semantic bleaching,” in which a word or phrase gradually loses its original meaning.
Image credits: Getty Images/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
“The fact that you can get a big reaction from somebody for something just totally meaningless — that might give it longer longevity than it might otherwise have,” Jones said.
Gail Fairhurst, a professor who studies leadership communication and youth language trends, also believes the phrase serves an important social purpose.
“Language is a way for people to form community,” he said.
Image credits: Emily Wade/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
“Even if it’s a nonsense term, if they seem to know what it means, that can be a unifying force.”
Jones similarly described the phrase as a type of social signal that helps young people feel part of a group.
“Do you have a little bit of whimsy? Or are you a party pooper?” he said while discussing why people continue to use the trend despite its lack of a clear definition.
“He’s truly the people’s pope,” wrote one netizen
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