US EditionFake Message to President of Burkina Faso Attributed to Pope
- A deepfake video falsely showing Pope Leo XIV praising Burkina Faso's military ruler was posted online in mid-May 2025 using manipulated footage from his May 12 audience.
- The video used AI-generated voice with a non-native accent and lip morphing to match prerecorded footage, misleading viewers about the Pope's actual words.
- The fake message appeared on YouTube accounts like Pan African Dreams and Nou se Legliz, part of a wider series of falsified papal content spreading on social media.
- On May 21, Vatican News issued a formal caution urging the public to verify the authenticity of statements attributed to Pope Leo XIV, highlighting a fabricated video that falsely portrays him addressing Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré; the official documents can be found exclusively on vatican.va.
- This incident highlights growing AI-driven disinformation targeting religious figures, stressing the need for caution and reliance on official Vatican sources for accurate papal communications.
12 Articles
12 Articles
franciscanmedia.org
Vatican warns about fake pope quotes, videos
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — All the speeches and messages Pope Leo XIV has given since becoming pope May 8 are available on the Vatican website, which should be checked before sharing supposed quotes and videos, Vatican News said. The Vatican News site published the warning in several languages May 21 after a 36-minute “deep fake” — AI-generated — video was posted on YouTube. The post, which used manipulated video of Pope Leo and an AI-generated voice …
Fake message to Burkina Faso president adds to growing wave of Pope Leo AI deepfakes
A YouTube video falsely portraying Pope Leo XIV delivering a message to Burkina Faso’s president has added to a growing trend of AI-generated deepfakes targeting the… The post Fake message to Burkina Faso president adds to growing wave of Pope Leo AI deepfakes appeared first on CatholicVote org.
Vatican issues warning after fake AI video of Pope Leo XIV posted on YouTube - The Catholic Leader
THE Vatican News site has published a warning in multiple languages that a 36-minute AI-generated deepfake video was posted on YouTube and shared around the world. The post, which used manipulated video of Pope Leo and an AI-generated voice with an accent that is not Pope Leo’s, praises Ibrahim Traoré, the military ruler of Burkina […] The post Vatican issues warning after fake AI video of Pope Leo XIV posted on YouTube appeared first on The Cat…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Right
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
