Hoax – Pope Leo XIV allegedly made a dramatic confession, leaving the Vatican after revealing he had a son he had abandoned for over thirty years. Afterward, he resigned.
Analysis
A video with highly dramatic and personal content has generated great repercussions and raised questions among the faithful and the general public. The images circulating on the internet show what is allegedly a surprising “confession” from the current Pope, Leo XIV, elected in May 2025.
In the recording, the highest authority of the Catholic Church is supposedly breaking the silence about a decades-old secret, which led him to abandon the Vatican. The narrative of a crisis of conscience and the theme of secret paternity, in contrast to the celibacy required by religious life, naturally catapulted the story to massive reach on social media. Read:
Version 1: IF TRUE, WOULD THE POPE’S PUBLIC CONFESSION REALLY BE MERITORIOUS? To a non-Catholic, as is my case, the video in which Pope Leo XIV allegedly admits to having had a sexual involvement with a woman, which resulted in a son, whom he abandoned for thirty-two years, is a warning about the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to cause changes even within an institution whose sluggishness, despite its eagerness for “aggiornamento” in the face of contemporary values, is as ambiguous as it is proverbial! The official website of the Holy See and several fact-checking agencies (such as major international news outlets and global fact-checkers) have already confirmed that this and other similar videos are “deepfakes,” created with the strategic intention of disseminating misinformation, perhaps aiming, I believe, to force the debate about celibacy.
At first glance, the content even seems authentic and true, because it uses real images of the Pope, but, above all, the extremely frank discourse, in flagrant contradiction with the traditional discretion with which, on delicate issues of a moral and personal nature, the Vatican, fearful of scandal, always tries to preserve the members of its high-ranking hierarchy, is neither convincing nor coherent, the paradoxical disclosure of an unusual public unburdening by its highest authority, which reinforces the conviction that it is a montage. Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost), who was recently elected in May 2025, did in fact consider getting married and having children in his youth, before entering religious life, a fact that is mentioned in his official biography. However, he did not have children and the video in question is a fraud, part of a wave of false content about the new pontiff that flooded the internet after his election.
Version 2: I can no longer remain silent | Pope Leo XIV abandons the Vatican and reveals a secret that changes everything In this absolutely revealing video, you will discover why Pope Leo XIV finally decided to break the silence and abandon the Vatican after receiving a spiritual message that, according to him, will change everything we know about faith, the future of the Church, and the prophetic events that have already begun to be fulfilled. This is not a common statement — it is an urgent call, a direct warning, an alert that no Christian can ignore. Here, you will understand the secret that was hidden for decades within the walls of the Vatican and that now comes to light at a critical moment for humanity. Prepare yourself: this message is strong, profound, and can transform your spiritual vision. Watch until the end and share this revelation with those you love.
Fact Check
Despite the intense circulation and the shocking nature of the video, a detailed investigation into the material and its context reveals that the story is nothing more than fake news. To answer readers’ questions, we checked the following issues: 1) Did Pope Leo XIV really reveal he had a son and resign from his post in the Vatican? 2) How was the video that claims Pope Leo XIV reveals he has a son and resigns from his post in the Vatican made? 3) Are there other similar fake news stories about the pontiff?
Did Pope Leo XIV really reveal he had a son and resign from his post in the Vatican?
No, Pope Leo XIV did not reveal he had a son nor did he resign from his post in the Vatican. The Supreme Pontiff, which is the name given to Robert Francis Prevost, remains in his position and there is no official record or statement from the Holy See confirming the facts narrated in the video.
The rumor uses a narrative of dramatic confession and abandonment of power to generate commotion, but it is completely disconnected from reality. The official Vatican website and credible international news agencies have not published anything about such a resignation or confession, which would be an event of global impact.
How was the video that claims Pope Leo XIV reveals he has a son and resigns from his post in the Vatican made?
The video in question is a deepfake production, meaning manipulated and synthetic content created by Artificial Intelligence. Although the video may use authentic images of the Pope, the audio and, consequently, the confession, are falsified.
Are there other similar fake news stories about the pontiff?
Yes, Pope Leo XIV has been a constant target of a series of fake news stories created using AI since his election. The dissemination of false content seems to be part of a coordinated strategy to misinform the public and, possibly, to force a debate on sensitive issues for the Church, such as the question of celibacy.
Boatos.org, for example, has already cataloged other false narratives about the pontiff, such as one accusing him of silencing an atheist professor in a university debate, which also proved to be a fraud. This wave of misinformation highlights the importance of fact-checking before sharing any material of dubious origin.
Conclusion
The video that attributes the confession of having a son and the subsequent resignation from the papacy to Pope Leo XIV is a piece of misinformation. It is a highly manipulated deepfake created by Artificial Intelligence, which uses the real figure of the pontiff to disseminate a fictional and dramatic story. Pope Leo XIV made no such confession and remains in charge of the Vatican, with the narrative being part of a wave of false content created to distort the reality about the new leader of the Catholic Church.
Fake news ❌
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