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&Quot;Pope Francis&Quot;

  • Fact Check: The Vatican Did NOT Close Secret Archives Over Epstein Files

    Fact Check

    Did Pope Francis order the closure of the Vatican Secret Archives over a scandal revealed in the Epstein files in March 2026? No, that's not true: The post claimed Pope Francis ordered the sealing of the archives in March 2026, but he died in April 2025. There are no legitimate news reports of the Vatican sealing the archives as of…

    • Mar 12, 2026
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
    Fact Check: The Vatican Did NOT Close Secret Archives Over Epstein Files No Proof
  • New Pope, New Conspiracies, But At The Speed Of Social Media

    Analysis

    ROME - That puff of white from atop the Sistine Chapel has long been a starting gun for conspiracists. With a new character in the story, they proclaim they alone tell the truth about dark forces playing pontifical puppeteers. These stories humans tell to make simple sense of complex events move ever faster, now that there's money to be made…

    • May 9, 2025
    • by: Raffaella Menichini
    New Pope, New Conspiracies, But At The Speed Of Social Media Fighting Fakes
  • White Smoke: Cardinals Choose American Robert Prevost As Pope Leo XIV -- What We Know So Far

    Breaking

    Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, was chosen as successor to Pope Francis. Prevost, who becomes the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, has chosen the name Leo XIV. (Source: Lead Stories' screenshot of Vatican TV) Prevost's earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, and a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union…

    • May 8, 2025
    • by: Alan Duke
    White Smoke: Cardinals Choose American Robert Prevost As Pope Leo XIV -- What We Know So Far American Pope
  • Private, Ritualistic And Consequential: The Conclave Is Conspiracy's Natural Habitat

    Analysis

    The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor is set to start on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. It is a centuries-old ceremony entrenched in secrecy and powerful rituals, which strikes the world's imagination. This year, 135 cardinals from 71 countries across the five continents (of which Pope Francis has appointed 108, and 12 come from countries that never had a cardinal…

    • May 3, 2025
    • by: Raffaella Menichini
    Private, Ritualistic And Consequential: The Conclave Is Conspiracy's Natural Habitat Extra Omnes
  • Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Pope Francis With 'Three Hands'

    Fact Check

    Did a widely-viewed video authentically show Pope Francis in a wheelchair with three hands? No, that's not true: that clip was fake and a digital fabrication. It recreated a real moment, shown in authentic video, in which Francis emerged on to the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to give the Easter Sunday "urbi et orbi" blessing, one day before his…

    • Apr 29, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows Pope Francis With 'Three Hands' Fake Footage
  • Fact Check: Videos About 'Pope Francis' Dog' Are NOT Authentic News Reports

    Fact Check

    Did Pope Francis' dog "refuse to leave his grave"? No, that's not true: None of the variations of the internet rumor support that by links to credible news reports or authentic footage or photographs from the papal funeral, which was covered in detail by multiple journalistic organizations. There is no evidence that the late pontiff kept any pets during his…

    • Apr 28, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Videos About 'Pope Francis' Dog' Are NOT Authentic News Reports Didn't Happen
  • Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Many Pope Francis Mourners, Not Just Trump, Dressed in Blue

    Fact Check

    Did an authentic photograph show several mourners wearing blue attire at the funeral of Pope Francis? No, that's not true: An image shared widely on social media had been digitally edited to change the color and tone of the clothes worn by several dignitaries, including former President Joe Biden. Some observers had criticized President Donald Trump for wearing a blue…

    • Apr 28, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: FAKE Photo Shows Many Pope Francis Mourners, Not Just Trump, Dressed in Blue Digital Edit
  • Fact Check: Video Of JD Vance Talking About 'Parodies' AND 'Accusations' In Aftermath Of His Last Meeting With Pope Francis Is NOT Authentic

    Fact Check

    Does a viral video authentically portray U.S. Vice President JD Vance talking about "parodies" and "accusations" after visiting the Vatican hours before the death of Pope Francis? No, that's not true: The original sound was digitally replaced in the clip. The recording was first published nine months before the pontiff's death. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…

    • Apr 25, 2025
    • by: Uliana Malashenko
    Fact Check: Video Of JD Vance Talking About 'Parodies' AND 'Accusations' In Aftermath Of His Last Meeting With Pope Francis Is NOT Authentic Altered Sound
  • A Pope's Death Fosters Conspiracy Theories... Again

    Analysis

    My first memory of the passing of a pope is a traumatic one: someone murdered him. Or at least, that's what everyone around me seemed to believe. I was just 13, but I had a sense that something was amiss: Albino Luciani had been Pope John Paul I for only 33 days, and he was relatively young, in his…

    • Apr 25, 2025
    • by: Raffaella Menichini
    A Pope's Death Fosters Conspiracy Theories... Again Every Time
  • Fact Check: Cardinal Robert Sarah Did NOT Say 'The Jewish People Have Slain Our Messiah'

    Fact Check

    Did Cardinal Robert Sarah once say "The Jewish people have slain our messiah -- I shall never forget that"? No, that's not true: Contrary to a meme that was shared widely in April 2025, we could find no record of the Guinean cardinal having written or uttered words to that effect. After the death of Pope Francis, Sarah was mentioned…

    • Apr 25, 2025
    • by: Lead Stories Staff
    Fact Check: Cardinal Robert Sarah Did NOT Say 'The Jewish People Have Slain Our Messiah' No Record
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Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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    • Mar 13, 2026
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  • Fact Check: The Vatican Did NOT Close Secret Archives Over Epstein Files No Proof

    Fact Check: The Vatican Did NOT Close Secret Archives Over Epstein Files

    Fact Check

    • Mar 12, 2026
    • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
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    Fact Check: Ted Lieu Did NOT Confront Kash Patel With Secret Epstein Recording Saying 'Trump Told Me To Bury It'

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    • Mar 12, 2026
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Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
Spotted something? Let us know!.

Lead Stories is a:

  • Verified signatory of the IFCN Code of Principles
  • Verified EFCSN member
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