What to Know
By virtue of being an American from Chicago, a lot of people have found Pope Leo XIV to be one of the most relatable. But now that he’s dipped his toes into the water of this viral Gen Alpha trend that every parent is more than aware of, he’s gaining even more fans. That’s right: The Pope hit ’em with the 67 from the Popemobile, and nothing about the papacy will ever be the same.
Pope Leo XIV seemed thrilled to become part of the trend.
anotha one pic.twitter.com/1StNvS0MLD
— expensivethrift (@expensivethrift) June 9, 2026
In this video that was shared on X on June 9, Pope Leo can be seen moving his hands in the up and down gesture while he’s interacting with the crowd from the Popemobile, and judging by that look on his face, he knows he’s doing something silly that’s going to make people happy. That grin! He’s glowing!
This wasn’t even the first time that Leo participated in the trend. Several more videos of him doing the gesture have been making the rounds all over social media.
People are truly loving that he did this.
@donrobertofiscer Papa Leone 67 🇻🇦#sixseven #67 #chiesa #prete #donroberto ♬ 67 – DJ R4
The TikTok video above might have actually captured the moment that Leo learned how to do 67 for the first time when a couple of kids wanted to teach him, and it’s actually really endearing to see how interested he was in connecting with them. The trend can be annoying if you’re a parent who has heard nothing but “67” in your home for the past year, but seeing this moment play out really is sweet.
People online are loving Leo for this, and they really can’t blame him for getting in on it.
“Yk at first you do the 6-7 ironically to relate to the kids… then you get addicted to it,” one person wrote on X. “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.”
Another person wrote, “My cousins are both elementary schoolers and I did it because it made them laugh now I’m doing it because it makes ME laugh and makes them cringe.”
The trend is largely meaningless… if you’re an adult, anyway.
He's never going to stop. The Papal 67 has been unleashed. pic.twitter.com/UOFSxXPWGi
— Christee (@christeesee) June 12, 2026
The trend seems to have been popularized on TikTok before spreading across elementary and middle schools around the country, though there is some debate about its origins. Supposedly, it comes from a song called “Doot Doot (6 7) by rapper Skrilla, but I’m willing to bet that most kids who are obsessed with the trend have never even heard the song.
But hey, if it’s making the kids happy — and apparently, also making the pope happy — who is anyone else to judge?
READ NEXT: Confused On Why Your Kid Keeps Saying ‘Six Seven’? Here’s the 411 on the New Slang Term
