Did a viral video really show Pope Leo XIV publicly criticizing JD Vance for his reaction to former President Joe Biden's cancer announcement? No, that's not true: The clip used AI-generated sound to make it appear the Pope scolded Vance for attacking Biden with "cold, calculated words" and lacking "human compassion". No actual news websites reported that the Pope publicly said the words in the video.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Instagram where it was published on May 22, 2025. It opened:
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The entry included a video in which Pope Leo XIV appeared to be saying this:
Vance, you say you hope Biden recovers soon. Yet, you attack him with such cold, calculated words. It's hard to believe someone like you is part of the U.S. government. As an American-born Pope, my heart is full of concern and sorrow. Looking back at some of the policies Mr. Vance has put forward, it seems, he's forgotten the most basic principle of human compassion, placing people in difficult and painful situations. This runs completely counter to the teachings we hold dear. Politics should not be a cold battle for power. It should carry the warmth of humanity. When we see a fellow human being suffering from illness, our first instinct should be to offer sympathy and blessings, not to use their pain as a tool in political games. Biden, as a former president, once carried great responsibility. To mock his health now is not only deeply disrespectful, it also goes against the spirit of compassion we strive to uphold. We live in a diverse world, and differences in political opinion are inevitable, but I sincerely urge Mr. Vance to let go of hostility and approach others with tolerance. Focus your energy on serving the public good that is the calling of true leadership.
Here is what the post looked like on Instagram at the time of writing:
(Source: Instagram screenshot by Lead Stories)
Two AI detectors -- InVid's Hiya (archived here) and DeepFake-o-meter (archived here) -- ruled that the sound in the video was likely AI:
(Source: InVid screenshot by Lead Stories)
(Source: DeepFake-o-meter screenshot by Lead Stories)
On May 18, 2025, the office of the former president issued a statement (archived here) saying that Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
On May 19, 2025, the Holy See confirmed (archived here) that U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with the newly elected Chicago-born pontiff Leo XIV. The Vatican press release characterized it as "cordial talks" but did not offer specific details about the contents of their conversation. Vance wrote on X (archived here) that it was "great" but did not elaborate further.
The vice president commented on Biden's health on his way back from the Vatican.
However, a search for the specific language from the purported Pope's speech across the Vatican website produced no matches within the given timeframe, and a Google search showed the "address" critical of Vance was not mentioned on the news (search archived here).
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Other Lead Stories fact checks of the claims mentioning Pope Leo XIV are here.
