Following Pope Francis’s death on April 21, 2025, claims and rumors related to his legacy and activities have been spread on social media platforms. A video clip depicting an aging cardinal being carried to perform a spiritual event has been widely shared on social media, claiming Pope Francis’s last movement before his death. However, Fact Crescendo’s investigation reveals the claim is false.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A 26-second video clip depicting an aging cardinal attending a church ceremony has been widely circulated and shared on social media platforms, claiming that Pope Francis performed the Easter feast before his last breath.
Below is a screenshot from a Facebook post on April 26, 2025, featuring the clip with the caption that reads: “Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.”
The video clip was shared on Facebook by another user, who noted in his caption that it shows the last moments of Pope Francis performing a church ritual.
Below is a screenshot of a Facebook post that captured the video clip and reshared it with the caption: “Pope Francis performed his priestly duties till his last breath, even when he couldn’t speak or walk, two people supported his hands. The video was very emotional.”
The video clip has been uploaded and shared on various social media platforms, including Meta’s Instagram, Alphabet-owned YouTube, and ByteDance’s TikTok, which is the largest Chinese social media platform.
Below is a screenshot from a video clip uploaded on Instagram on April 23, 2025, with the caption stating that Pope Francis practiced his last spiritual moment.
Instagram Post | Archived Link
For the video clip uploaded on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, it can be viewed here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), and here (archived).
The video clip resonated strongly on social media, sparking widespread engagement through countless shares, comments, and reactions from users.
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo investigated this claim using Google Reverse Image Search, which led us to uncover the following facts.
Conducting a reverse image search revealed the origin of the video, which has been circulated widely with misleading information.
The reverse image search indicates that the video was uploaded online at least three years ago, before Pope Francis’s death on April 21, 2025.
According to a Facebook post from 2024, the aging cardinal in the video clip is Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of all Georgia. He participated in an event held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on January 19, 2022.
Another Facebook post from early 2022 shared five photos of the event, featuring Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of all Georgia being carried by two cardinals performing a spiritual activity.
Ilia II, aged 92, is the 82nd Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, holding the highest ecclesiastical rank in the Georgian Orthodox Church. His official title encompasses “Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, and Metropolitan Bishop of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia.”
The complete video of the event was uploaded to the Georgian Government’s YouTube channel three years ago, which also shows Ilia II being carried by two cardinals during the event.
Video on YouTube | Archived Link
Pope Francis, born in Argentina, passed away at the age of 88 on April 21, 2025. He served as the Pope of the Catholic Church in Vatican City for 12 years.
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CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo has verified that the widely circulated claim above is false. The video clip depicts Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II participating in a spiritual event held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on January 19, 2022.
Title:Old Footage of Ilia II Falsely Claimed as Pope Francis’s Final Moments
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: False
