False! Several viral videos of processions not related to Pope’s funeral

Following Pope Francis’s death, several videos have emerged on social media, with claims that they are related to the late pope’s last burial ceremony.

In one of the most viral videos, some individuals wearing monk robes with their faces covered in black pointed hoods are seen in a procession in a room that looks like a Cathedral. These individuals also hold staff as they walk slowly.

The video is captioned “The last burial rites for the late Pope. This one sef nah part of Christianity?? Nah kwesion i ask oo”

This video has been widely shared on X. Many claims it is related to the burial service of the late Pope Francis. It is also making rounds on other social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube (here, here, and here) with the same claim.

“Can we talk about how absolutely Satanic this Pope funeral is? From the hats to the upsidedown crosses…so many conspiracy theories to unwrap in one video.”

In a similar video spotted on TikTok, some people wearing white robes with their faces covered in white hoodies are seen in a procession on the street. They are hitting their backs with some clothes as they move in a procession.

In the video, the user claims it is a video showing “Christians mourning the death of Pope Francis in Vatican City.”

Fact-Check Ghana has worked on these claims and presents the findings in this report.

Claim: The videos are related to the last burial for the late Pope

Verdict: False
 
Explanation:

Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. Prior to his funeral, which is scheduled for April 26, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square or in the Basilica, several videos are seen circulating on X with claims of being related to the Pope’s burial service. The Pope’s funeral is even scheduled to happen on April 26, 2025, meaning these viral videos predate the funeral service.

The video showing some individuals wearing black monkish robes and with black pointed hoods that cover their entire face but show only their eyes in a procession as they march with a stick in their hands is not from the Pope’s funeral.

Our checks reveal that this is footage from Spain’s famous Holy Week, also called Semana Santa, that happens during the week leading up to Easter. This celebration is popular in Southern Spain, especially in cities like Sevilla, Burgos, Zamora, Cádiz, and Málaga.

Using Google reverse image search to check a screenshot of the videos, we found that the videos have been widely circulated on the internet in the last 24 hours.

The results also showed similar videos and posts that connected to an annual Christian event popularly marked in Spain. It is believed to be part of the Spanish culture.

What is it about?

The Spanish Holy Week Procession dates from the 15-17^th Century in Spain. It forms part of the activities to mark the Easter celebrations in Spain. During the solemn processions, penitents who join the procession are believed to be atoning for their sins during the holy week.

They believe it is a manner in which they honour Jesus’s suffering and struggle in the desert for 40 days, culminating in holy week when he died and was resurrected for our salvation. The purpose of this procession is believed to be for repentance as they mourn Jesus.  

Therefore, it is not true that this is related to the Pope’s funeral rites.

The video of men slapping their backs with ropes is also from Spain. Those are another group of penitents celebrating the Holy Week.

A reverse image search led to the same video uploaded on X post on Sunday, April 20, 2025, a day before the Pope died. The post was captioned “Twelver Catholic”

The video had the inscription “Los Picaos de San Vicente de la Sonsierra”, meaning a public act of the Christian religion that happens in the town of San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Spain. It is also an expression of the faith and belief of some Christians in Spain. 

Therefore, it is not true that these videos are from the burial ceremony of Pope Francis.