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Fact check: Did Pope Leo give a 36-minute speech praising the leader of Burkina Faso?

Michie

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A 36-minute video purporting to show Pope Leo XIV reading a statement denouncing colonialism and praising Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the 37-year-old leader of Burkina Faso, has garnered nearly a million views on YouTube as of Monday.

Claim: Pope Leo XIV is shown seated in the Paul VI Audience Hall reading from a paper. In an apparent response to a purported speech from Ibrahim Traoré, Pope Leo XIV appears to address the Catholic Church’s historical entanglement with colonialism and acknowledge its past failures to stand with the oppressed and speak out against economic exploitation and political interference in Africa.

The “pope” then addresses ongoing injustices, including the plunder of Africa’s resources, the theft of cultural memory, the denial of sovereignty, and the crisis of migration, affirming Africa’s vital role as a “beacon of faith” and calling for a new era of justice, reconciliation, and partnership.

CNA finds: The video is entirely fake and admits as much in its own description on YouTube — but that hasn’t stopped thousands of viewers from being misled.

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