Vatican City: In a brazen misuse of technology, a 36-minute AI-generated video falsely portraying Pope Leo XIV delivering a heartfelt message to Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré has surfaced on YouTube. Uploaded to the channel “Pan African Dreams,” the deepfake uses video morphing techniques to convincingly simulate the Pope speaking in English—a language he has not officially used in public addresses.
The fabricated message begins with grandiose rhetoric: “To His Excellency President Ibrahim Traoré, President of the Sovereign Nation of Burkina Faso, son of African soil, defender of his people, may grace and peace multiply for you through wisdom, courage and truth.”
Produced using footage from Pope Leo’s real audience with journalists on May 12, the video manipulates his likeness to make it appear as though he responds personally to Traoré’s letter. The AI-generated voice goes on to say:
“I have read your words not once, but many times… because in your voice I have heard not only the anger of a president, but the righteous cry of a continent long wounded by the twin blades of abandonment and exploitation.”
The video, titled “Pope Leo XIV responds to Captain Ibrahim Traoré – A Message of Truth, Justice & Reconciliation,” gives the false impression that the Pope is offering a direct, emotional appeal to the African leader. However, the illusion unravels under scrutiny—throughout the entire speech, the Pope holds the same two sheets of paper, and the visual footage is looped to match the AI-generated script.
A shorter version of the video later reappeared on another YouTube account, “Nou se Legliz,” continuing to spread the misinformation.
The Vatican has issued no such address. All official statements, speeches, and video messages from Pope Leo XIV are published on verified platforms, including vatican.va, vaticannews.va, and osservatoreromano.va. In light of the incident, viewers are urged to verify the authenticity of papal messages and remain cautious of unsourced social media content that exploits digital manipulation tools.
The case, also covered by BBC News on May 15, highlights the growing threat of AI-generated disinformation, especially when used to distort the voice of global religious and political figures.