Claim
Prime Minister Modi was the sole world leader invited by the Pope to meet him during the G7 Summit in Italy.
Fact
The viral video is from 2021, not from the recent G7 Summit. During the summit, the Pope met several state leaders, including Modi, on the sidelines of the event.
Social Media Posts
The X account of the Kerala Congress recently sparked controversy with a post mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Pope Francis at the G7 Summit in Italy. The party quickly deleted the post and issued an apology to Christians.
Meanwhile, a video showing the Pope meeting PM Modi has gone viral on social media, claiming that Modi was the only state leader invited by the Pope to meet him during the G7 Summit in Italy.
A Facebook user who shared the video commented, “The media doesn’t highlight this outreach. Only Modi Ji was invited by the Pope among all state heads attending the G7 meeting in Italy. This showcases India’s current influence. Indian Seculars don’t give credit to Modi Ji.” You can view the archive of the post [here](archive link).
Our Verification
Reverse-searching keyframes from the viral video led us to several video reports on YouTube dating back to October 2021. One such report by Voice of America matched the visuals seen in the viral video. The caption indicated that PM Modi met Pope Francis at the Vatican on October 30, 2021, and extended an invitation for him to visit India. This meeting took place while PM Modi was in Rome for the G20 Summit.
Before and after his address at the summit, the Pope held private bilateral meetings with several state leaders, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, he did not have a private meeting with PM Modi.
During the summit, the Pope was wheeled around a table to greet the world leaders gathered there.
Therefore, it is evident that an old video of PM Modi’s meeting with the Pope is being shared falsely, claiming that he was the only state leader to meet the head of the Catholic Church during the recent G7 Summit.
