This post on X (formerly Twitter) with a video claiming to show Pope Leo XIV refusing to embrace an African cardinal is FALSE.
The clip shows a white cardinal embracing fellow cardinals as he greets them, but he offers only a handshake when he approaches the black cardinal.
The accompanying text reads: “This is your Pope, America — racist as it gets. Every cardinal receives a kiss and a proper greeting, except the African cardinal. Because he ain’t white. Forget this goof… does he even know God isn’t white?” The post also includes a hashtag accusing Pope Leo XIV of racism.
However, the video is not of Pope Leo XIV.
The name tag on the clip shows it was shared by an account named @khotsorakotje. Upon tracing the video on TikTok, PesaCheck found that it dates back to 2023 and does not feature the current Vatican Pope, Leo XIV.
A reverse image search of a screenshot from the video reveals that the cardinal greeting others is Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, not Pope Leo XIV. The footage was recorded before Pope Leo XIV’s election on 8 May 2025.
Furthermore, the search revealed an article on the incident, noting that it reignited debates on racism in the Catholic Church and revived hopes for a pope of African descent — the “dream of a Black pope.”
PesaCheck has looked into a post on X with a video claiming to show the Pope refusing to embrace an African cardinal and finds it to be FALSE.