Pope Leo XIV has been accused of 'ignoring' a Black clergyman after a viral video appeared to show the pontiff abruptly turning away just before shaking his hand. But longer footage from his visit to Metz, France, reveals a crucial intervention seconds before the apparent 'snub' that changes the context of the encounter.
The controversy erupted following Pope Leo's 28 September Mass at Saint-Étienne Cathedral, the final public gathering of his four-day visit to France. A shortened clip circulated widely on social media, prompting some users to accuse the Pope of racism after he appeared to greet people along a barrier before stopping short of the Black clergyman.
