E-Paper
Did Pope Leo XIV intentionally ignore an LGBTQ flag? Internet sleuths unearth ‘truth’
Pope Leo XIV came under scrutiny after a 2012 video showing his conservative remarks about homosexuality went viral.
Prefer HTon Google
Robert Francis Prevost, the first American pope, who has taken the title Leo XIV, is leading more than a billion Catholics around the world. Soon after his ascent to the papacy, he came under the scrutiny of social media users due to his conservative remarks about the LGBTQ+ community made in 2012. Amid this, a recent video of the pope allegedly ignoring a pride flag has fueled the controversy.
Acquisitions of ignoring an LGBTQ+ flag:
“Newly elected Pope Leo XIV intentionally ignored an LGBTQ rainbow flag by looking the other way when he approached it,” wrote an X user while sharing a video. Several others across X are sharing the same video.
Also Read: Rare behind-the-scenes footage: Emotional moment Pope Leo XIV embraces cardinals after landmark election
The video captures the moment the pope traverses the crowds. He shakes hands with some of the people standing beyond the railings. Towards the end of the video, a person appears with a flag in his hand.
Some speculated that Pope Leo XIV intentionally avoided the flag. The video sparked a fresh wave of debate among social media users about the new Catholic leader’s views.
Take a look at the video:
Internet sleuths disagree:
While most people were criticising the moment, a few claimed that the flag the man was holding was not a Pride Flag but a PACE flag. It looks similar to the Pride flag but is a peace flag.
Also Read: Laura Loomer calls Pope Leo XIV a 'woke Marxist', internet says she is ‘disrespectful’. Who is the MAGA influencer?
An individual wrote, “That's not a Pride flag. It's a peace flag. It says PACE.” Another added, “That's a peace flag and not pride.”
A third posted, “I'm pretty sure that flag means ‘peace’ in Italy.” A fourth remarked, “He's a great pope, but that is not an LGBT flag. The colors & white lettering are not LGBT & clearly show the Italian peace flag (Pace = Peace in Italian). This flag dates from 1961 in Italy, while the LGBT Pride flag was invented in 1978.”
