Vatican warns about fake online content featuring Pope Leo XIV

Vatican News reported that a 36-minute “deep fake” – AI-generated – video was posted on YouTube, using a manipulated video of Pope Leo and an AI-generated voice with an accent that is not Pope Leo’s, praising Ibrahim Traoré.

Vatican News said the item was “produced using footage from Pope Leo XIV’s audience with journalists on Monday, May 12. A ‘morphing’ technique was used — that is, transforming the image so that the movement of the lips matches the AI-generated words”.

The video is only the latest example of social media fakes attributed to the new Pope. A popular meme circulating on Facebook, Instagram and other social media features a photo of Pope Leo from May 8 and the fake quote: “You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test you. And many are failing.”

According to fact-checking website snopes.com, the earliest posting of the supposed quote was May 14, but there is no evidence anywhere that the Pope said it.

All the speeches and messages that Pope Leo has given since becoming Pope on May 8 are available on the Vatican website, which should be checked before sharing supposed quotes and videos, Vatican News said.

The Vatican website – www.vatican.va – offers papal texts, including the texts of video messages, in multiple languages, often including Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Latin.

FULL STORY

Vatican warns about fake pope quotes, videos (CNS)

Fake message to President of Burkina Faso attributed to Pope (Vatican News)