Rumor – Pope Francis appeared in a video playing the song ‘Ave Maria’ on guitar.
Analysis
Videos that go viral with religious themes often attract a lot of attention. After the death of Pope Francis, this changed. One of the most recent involves none other than the Pontiff himself. On platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, a video began to circulate suggesting a previously unknown musical talent of the Argentine pope.
With the caption “AVE MARIA ESTO ES HERMOSO!”, the video shows a man dressed like Pope Francis playing the guitar with a serene expression while strumming the song “Ave Maria”. “Pope Francis playing Ave Maria on guitar AVE MARIA ESTO ES HERMOSO!”, reads the message.
Fact-Check
As with many other stories, this is another fake news. To verify, let’s answer the following: 1) Is the video showing Pope Francis playing guitar real? 2) How was the video made? 3) Are there other similar fakes?
Is the video showing Pope Francis playing guitar real?
No. The man in the viral video playing “Ave Maria” on guitar is not Pope Francis. It is a creation made with artificial intelligence (AI), which can be identified by subtle details in movement and image texture. There is no official record, either from the Vatican or reputable press, of the Pope performing publicly on guitar — let alone the classic “Ave Maria”.
How was the video made?
The content is a typical AI-manipulated product, using techniques like “deepfake” or synthetic image generation to simulate movements and faces. Tools like Pika Labs, Runway ML, and HeyGen can create hyper-realistic videos based on textual prompts or image fragments. It is not uncommon for this to happen.
Are there other similar fakes?
Yes. Pope Francis has been the target of numerous rumors involving fake videos and images, especially with the rise of generative artificial intelligence tools. A recent example is the rumor that he was photographed kissing the Dalai Lama — debunked by Boatos.org. These contents often exploit religious emotions and create impossible or highly unlikely scenes to attract clicks and shares.
Conclusion
The video showing Pope Francis playing “Ave Maria” on the guitar is not authentic. It was created using artificial intelligence and has no basis in reality. The content follows the pattern of other fake news involving religious leaders and aims only to move people emotionally and attract views through misinformation.
Fake news ❌
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