@fr.alexmu: ✝️ THE VIRAL VIDEO OF POPE LEO XIV AND A BLACK PRIEST — WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? A short video circulating online has led some people to accuse Pope Leo XIV of deliberately refusing to shake the hand of a Black priest during his visit to Metz, France. But does the video actually prove racism? 👉 No. The available evidence does not establish that. Here is what the wider footage shows. As Pope Leo XIV was walking toward members of the clergy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Metz, he stopped to greet several people. When he approached a Black priest who appeared ready to shake his hand, the Pope suddenly turned away. That short moment quickly went viral. But the longer footage provides important context. A member of the papal delegation approached Pope Leo and spoke to him at that exact moment. The person was identified by TF1's fact-checking team as Diego Ravelli, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. The Pope then turned toward officials who were also waiting to be greeted. According to the wider footage reviewed by TF1, the Pope appeared to have been redirected toward those officials before continuing with the greetings. TF1 also reported that Pope Leo had greeted numerous people of different backgrounds during the same sequence, and that some white people were also not greeted. So what can we say with confidence? ✅ A handshake was missed. ❌ The video does not prove that Pope Leo refused the priest because he was Black. ❌ There is no established evidence in the available footage proving a racist motive. The Vatican had not publicly confirmed the precise reason for the moment when TF1 published its fact-check. And there is another important point. #PopeLeoXIV #CatholicChurch #CatholicTikTok #CatholicFaith #CatholicsOnline

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Thursday 01 October 2026 14:17:19 GMT