Video: First footage of a pope shows Leo XIII in 1896 (Photo: YouTube)
After Pope Leo XIV was chosen as the leader of the Catholic Church last Thursday (8), there was great curiosity about who the last Pope Leo was.
Fortunately, there is an impressive video recording of Pope Leo XIII, made by inventor William Kennedy Dickson, one of the creators of the motion picture camera, in 1896.
Pope Leo XIII’s papacy marked the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, with the creation of several technological revolutions. For this reason, he was filmed in the Vatican in a rare video recording of the time.
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At the time, the pope blessed the Biograph, one of the first cameras in the world. His voice was also recorded on a disc by Alessandro Moreschi.
In addition to being the first pope captured on video, the pontiff was also one of the first to have his voice recorded while reciting the Ave Maria prayer.
Pope Leo XIII was known for opening the Vatican’s secret archives to researchers, bridging the gap between religion and science. His 25-year papacy was one of the longest in history until his death in 1903.
Photo and video: YouTube @levanrami. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
