Fact Check: Did Pope Leo XIV say Islam is a religion of peace?

WASHINGTON, DC: A video circulating online in May 2026 claims to show Pope Leo XIV saying that “Islam is a religion of peace we can learn from,” sparking debate across social media amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the Iran conflict. As discussions surrounding religion, war, and diplomacy intensify online, many users have questioned whether the viral clip is authentic. Here’s a fact-check of the claim.

Claim: Pope Leo XIV said Islam is a religion of peace

An X post shared by user @wakeupusa features a 10-second video clip appearing to show Pope Leo XIV saying, “Islam is a religion of peace we can learn from,” while standing at a podium and holding papers.

The post’s caption referenced the user’s daughter saying, “Jesus doesn’t like liars,” directly criticizing the Pope’s alleged remarks about Islam. 

At the time of writing, the post had garnered more than 26,000 views and over 1,400 comments, sparking intense debate online.

Many users reacted critically to the purported statement, with several commenters referencing violence, the persecution of Christians, and religious differences to express disagreement. One user wrote, “What a ridiculous comment from a man of God who just recently saw thousands of Iranian people murdered by Islamic murderers. Islam has been causing death and mayhem throughout the world!”

Another commenter claimed, “Actually… Islam is a culture, not a religion.” A separate user strongly criticized the alleged remarks, accusing the Pope of attempting to manipulate public opinion against Jewish people and political opponents.

Fact Check: Fake, comment by Pope Leo XIV was created using AI

The viral video circulating online was generated using artificial intelligence. While Pope Leo XIV has publicly promoted peace and coexistence among different religions, there is no evidence that he ever said, “Islam is a religion of peace we can learn from.” A review of speeches published on the official Vatican website found no record of Leo making the alleged statement as of this writing.

The voice used in the clip also does not match Leo’s actual speaking voice heard in verified public appearances. The pitch and tone differ noticeably from authentic recordings of the Pope. The earliest version of the AI-generated clip appears to have been shared by the X account “Wake Up America,” which regularly posts similar AI-generated videos featuring fabricated quotes attributed to public figures.

The account describes itself as run by a “GROK AI Enthusiast” and states that its videos are “done and edited with Grok Imagine.”

Several versions of the clip shared on X also displayed the phrase “Create your own with Grok” at the bottom of the video, further indicating the footage was AI-generated.

Additionally, no reputable news organizations or Vatican sources reported that Leo made the statement. A reverse image search of screenshots from the clip also failed to find any matching images published by legitimate media outlets.