In the weeks following Pope Francis' death on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, social media platforms were flooded with emotionally charged videos claiming the pontiff's loyal dog refused to leave his side after his passing. These viral stories, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views, described dogs named variously as 'Esteban,' 'Tiberio,' or 'Baltazar' keeping faithful watch either at the pope's deathbed or at his grave in Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
However, multiple fact-checking organizations including Snopes and Lead Stories have thoroughly investigated these claims and confirmed they are entirely fabricated. The videos were created using artificial intelligence, featuring computer-generated imagery, synthesized voiceovers, and manipulated photographs.
Pope Francis, who died at age 88 after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, was not known to have owned any pets during his papacy. While there are numerous documented instances of him interacting warmly with animals—including petting dogs during public appearances and blessing a guide dog during a 2013 audience with Vatican journalists—no reliable sources indicate he had a personal canine companion.
The late pontiff's final days were well-documented by Vatican officials. After being hospitalized for five weeks with bilateral pneumonia earlier in 2025, Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, April 20, when he delivered the traditional 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing and briefly met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, officially announced Francis' death the following morning.
The pope's funeral took place on April 26, with his body lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica where over 250,000 mourners paid their respects. In accordance with his spiritual testament dated June 29, 2022, Francis was buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore—the first pope to be interred outside the Vatican in over a century.
On May 8, 2025, following a conclave that began on May 7, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Francis' successor, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old Chicago native became the first American pope in history and is expected to continue many of his predecessor's progressive policies.