Pope Leo XIV took part in the viral Gen Alpha “6-7” trend on May 16 at the Vatican after a group of children showed him the phrase and the signature hand gesture. The clip posted to TikTok has drawn more than 23 million views as of May 18.
Pope Leo XIV’s visit inside Vatican City had barely moved past the greetings before a group of children steered the moment into meme territory.
On May 16. while greeting people gathered inside the Vatican. the pope met children who declared. “Six seven. ” and demonstrated the accompanying hand movement—holding both hands palm up and moving them up and down. like weighing two objects. After a brief hesitation, Leo repeated after the children and matched the gesture. The children celebrated with applause as the pontiff continued on to the next patrons.
A video of the exchange was posted to TikTok by user Don Roberto Fiscer. As of May 18, it had been viewed more than 23 million times.
The “6-7” phrase—also written as “six-seven” and “67”—has become a slang staple among Gen Alpha. Some people interpret it as meaning “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that,” but it’s also used as an exclamation. Dictionary.com selected “6-7” as its World of the Year in 2025. describing it as part inside joke. part social signal. and part performance.
Steve Johnson. director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning. said in a statement that when people say it. they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re “shouting a feeling.” He added that it works as an interjection—“a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means.”.
The phrase’s origins are traced to the song “Doot Doot,” released by rapper Skrilla in December 2024. In the track, Skrilla sings: “The way that switch, I know he dyin’. 6-7. I just bipped right on the highway.”
Know Your Meme, a database for memes and internet slang, reports that some people believe “6-7” in the song refers to 67th Street—possibly in Philadelphia, where Skrilla is from.
Back at the Vatican, the sequence played out simply: children said “Six seven,” showed how to do it, and Pope Leo XIV echoed the moment before moving on—an unlikely stop on a trend that’s already been embraced across classrooms and now, briefly, the world’s most recognizable hallways.
Pope Leo XIV Vatican 6-7 meme viral trend Gen Alpha Dictionary.com World of the Year 2025 TikTok Don Roberto Fiscer Steve Johnson lexicography IXL Learning Skrilla Doot Doot Know Your Meme internet slang