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Pope Leo XIV has come under intense criticism on social media after a viral video appeared to show him greeting several people before turning away just as he reached a black clergyman during a visit to Metz, France.
The footage, recorded during the Pope's Sept. 28 appearance at Saint-Etienne Cathedral, quickly spread across social platforms and prompted accusations that the pontiff had deliberately ignored the clergyman because of his race.
The brief encounter drew particular attention because Leo appeared to shake hands with people standing immediately before the man, only to turn around before reaching him.
The clip triggered a wave of criticism, with users questioning why the greeting sequence appeared to stop at that specific moment.
For critics, the images raised uncomfortable questions about an encounter involving the head of the Catholic Church, particularly as the Pope had spoken during the same visit about equality, multiculturalism and respect for differences.
Earlier that day, Leo had called on Europe to uphold equality without distinction based on "race, colour, class or profession" and urged greater respect toward migrants.
During Mass at Saint-Etienne Cathedral, he also told worshippers that Europe's future "does not lie in uniformity, but in the harmony of differences."
The contrast between those remarks and the images circulating online helped drive the backlash further, even though the short clip itself does not establish why the Pope turned away.
As the video gained traction, some users accused Leo of racism, while others pushed back against what they described as an interpretation based on an incomplete sequence.
TF1 reported that the clip had been amplified in particular by some Pan-Africanist accounts and activists that had previously circulated pro-Russian narratives or misinformation. However, the report did not establish that the video formed part of any coordinated Russian campaign.
The controversy therefore grew beyond the brief exchange itself, turning into a broader online dispute over whether the footage showed discriminatory behavior or whether viewers were drawing conclusions from an isolated moment.
Some users and fact-checkers have pointed to longer footage from the cathedral as evidence that the apparent snub may have had another explanation.
That footage shows Diego Ravelli, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, approaching Leo moments before the Pope changes direction. TF1 reported that Ravelli appeared to be directing him toward attending officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron and other dignitaries.
The exact conversation cannot be heard, and the Vatican had not confirmed the explanation when TF1 published its report. The longer footage therefore offers additional context, but the brief encounter has continued to fuel debate online.
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