Claim: Video Circulation on Social Media to depict ritual activities in Pope Francis’ burial

Verdict: False

A video has been circulating on WhatsApp to portray the procession group of people

The viral video  shows a procession of people in a solemn gathering wearing  white robes with black stripes and black pointed head covers, each of them carrying a staff.  In the background of the procession was a sound of drums which synced with their ceremony.

The viral video  was shared with a caption to suggest occultic practices  in the burial activities of the  in the burial ceremony of the prominent Christian leader. The caption reads

Picture of the viral video in circulation 

“One of the Pope’s funeral rights (rites). We keep denigrating your own culture

Methinks this is like a ritual o🤔”

Apart from WhatsApp, the video has also been circulated on other media platforms as seen here, here and here with a similar indication that the burial ceremony of the Catholic Pope is done in an occultic style.

On April 21st 2025, the Vatican announced the death of the 88-year-old Pope Francis, informing the public that his funeral is scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 26th 2025 at St Peter’s Square.

Following the announcement, the Vatican officials and members of the Swiss Guard  escorted the Pope’s remains from his residence to St Peter’s Basilica on April 23rd 2025. A day after, thousand of people across the world lined up for the viewing of the religious leader’s coffin

However, the  claim about the rites surrounding the Pope’s burial has created speculation across the globe about the sanctity of the religious stance of the Catholic leader.

NDR decided to check the video to bring the fact behind the circulating video to the fore.

Verification

NDR subjected the video to verification through the use of Google Reverse Image, and it further directed us to the image and the video clip of a celebration of a Holy Week in Spain, also known as Semana Santa.

Picture of a Semana Santa Procession with the priests wearing pointy hats

The Semana Santa is an important  Easter  Celebration by the Catholics in which they have significant processions and traditional music, and the participants wear robes and pointy hats, while some people cover their faces to represent the mourning for the death of Jesus and take the hats off on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection.

Another procession for Semana Santa procession

The celebration which is organised by Catholic brotherhoods known as cofradios,   usually has the central feature of intricately decorated floats (pasos) and hooded penitents (nazarenos).

Further findings also revealed that the Semana Santa celebration also features carrying floats with Jesus and Mary statues, groups of pointy-hood-wearing Nazarenos (penitents), and shrill brass bands walking slowly through the streets, from their parish church to the cathedral, as seen in the viral video.

Conclusion

The viral video circulating to portray the rite of the secret cult for the burial ceremony for the deceased Pope is false and misleading, as the activity shown in the video does not relate to the pope’s death and burial.