Pope Leo’s photo from his youth goes viral as Internet compares him to Pablo Escobar actor from ‘Narcos’

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Social media users are buzzing over an unearthed photo of Pope Leo – born Robert Francis Prevost – taken in his early 20s. 

The image, captured in the early 1980s when he was about 24 or 25, shows the future head of the Catholic Church during his theology studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. As the first American Pope and a proud Chicago native, Pope Leo is once again captivating the internet with a rare glimpse into his past. The photo has drawn comparisons to the actor who played Pablo Escobar in 'Narcos'.

Pope Leo’s unseen photo from the 1980s is going viral online

People on social media are going wild over a newly shared photo of Pope Leo in his 20s. On July 7, X user Christopher Hale posted a never-before-seen image from 1980, showing the Pope as a young man. As of now, the post has racked up over 10.3 million views and 30,000 likes. 

The black-and-white, passport-sized photo, typical of the 1980s, shows Pope Leo clean-shaven, sporting a sharp mustache and neatly combed hair.

The viral post was followed by another tweet from Hale, who wrote, “Pope Leo is the most powerful religious leader on Earth — and as an American, he’s now the clearest counter to Trump. In the coming weeks, I’ll tell the story of the man behind the mitre. Before Leo, there was Bob Prevost from Chicago."

As the photo racked up millions of views online, social media users quickly jumped in with reactions—some even comparing the young Pope to Pablo Escobar.

One user mocked, "Pope Leo probably moved keys for the cartels in his younger days 💀🤣"

Another commenter drew a comparison between the young Pope and Pablo Escobar, writing, "God damn I literally thought this was Pablo Escobar."

One more netizen added, "That’s Pope Pablo."

Another x user shared, "Thought this was a picture of young Pablo Escobar."

A person explained, "Bwahahaha he looks like the actor from Narcos who plays Pablo Escobar."

A user commented, "This looks like his work ID as an IT tech in the early '80s."

A person said, "This is the most latin he’s ever looked. He should bring the stache back."

Another user compared, "He looks like the actor who has played Pablo Escobar."

Who is the actor who played Pablo Escobar in 'Narcos'?

Wagner Moura, a talented Brazilian actor, is best known for his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series 'Narcos'. Remarkably, Moura learned Spanish specifically for the role. His intense performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and many fans believe he was born to play Escobar.

Pablo Escobar, one of history’s most infamous drug lords, led the Medellín cartel in Colombia during the 1980s. At its peak, his cartel supplied nearly 80% of the cocaine entering the United States. Narcos captures the danger and drama of that era, with Moura’s portrayal bringing a complex humanity to the character.

Initially, Moura’s casting surprised many—Escobar was stocky, while Moura was naturally slim. In an interview with NPR’s David Greene, Moura recalled, “I was very skinny.” He also discussed his approach to the role, saying, “I had to put myself in his shoes and think what I would do if I was Pablo in these situations."

To fully embody the character, Moura absorbed everything written about Escobar but eventually set it all aside to create his own interpretation. “For example,” he said, “the way I was holding the pants and the way Pablo walked — I didn't try to do that on purpose. And then people were [like], "You know what? You know that Pablo used to do [that]."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.