VIDEO: African allegedly turned away from paying last respect to late Pope Francis

Pope Francis in state

By Emmanuel Akyereko

An African man has been allegedly turned away from paying his last respect to Pope Francis at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican City on Thursdays.

Per widely circulated video on social media, the black man was heard screaming and shouting on top of his voice after being allegedly denied access to the closet where everybody was paying their last respect to the late Pope.

Pope Francis passed away during the morning of April 21, 2025 at the age of 88 years after battling a long illness.

A viral post on (Twitter) X by an account name @thatverydarkma1, which included an image of a crowded St. Peter’s Basilica on April 23, 2025, claimed, “Africans are denied access to go bid the Pope farewell.” The image showed a diverse group of mourners inside the basilica, where Pope Francis’ open wooden casket was placed on a ramp near the main altar, in line with his wishes for a simplified funeral. However, the accompanying text suggested that not all mourners were granted equal access.

Below is the video of the incident.