Does photo show young Pope Leo XIV paying homage to 'Blues Brothers'?

In April 2026, an alleged photograph of Pope Leo XIV as a young man recirculated online after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration lobbed criticism at the pope over his comments condemning the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. 

Social media users began sharing the purported photo (archived, archived) of the pontiff, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, as early as November 2025 (archived). It shows a man wearing black sunglasses and a fedora, prompting many to say he resembled the characters from the 1980 film "The Blues Brothers." Some users claimed the photo was taken in 1982.

The virality of the photo led many Snopes readers to reach out to us in search of the truth behind the image. 

The photo appeared to be authentic, as it was featured in an official Vatican documentary. However, because we were unable to verify details about the image's origin, including the original photographer and the date it was taken, we have opted not to include a rating at this time. This story will be updated if we receive independent verification of the photo's authenticity. 

The photo in question appeared in a documentary about Pope Leo XIV made by Vatican News, the Vatican's official news outlet. Leo was named successor to the deceased Pope Francis on May 8, 2025.

"Leo from Chicago," published on Nov. 10, 2025 — several days before the photo was first shared online — depicted the early life and career of Pope Leo XIV. 

The photo in question was included in b-roll footage over an interview with the Rev. John Snider, a Lutheran pastor and friend of Prevost.

The relevant section begins around the 32:30 mark and the photo can be seen at the 32:50 mark of the video embedded below: 

While the photo's use in official Vatican communication suggests it is likely authentic, Snopes relies on primary evidence, not secondhand information, for all of our conclusions. 

We've reached out to Vatican News, Snider and the Holy See, the official office of the Vatican, to inquire about the photo in the hopes of confirming its photographer and the date it was taken. 

Users sharing the image online suggested it was captured in 1982, though Snider's comments in "Leo from Chicago" suggest Prevost may have donned the getup to celebrate the 1980 release of "The Blues Brothers." In the film, comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star as musicians "on a mission from God" to save their childhood Roman Catholic orphanage from foreclosure dressed in black suits, fedoras and sunglasses similar to Prevost's outfit in the photo.

The documentary doesn't clarify whether the alleged photo of Prevost directly references "The Blues Brothers," which Snider said they saw twice in theaters, or if it was a clever editing juxtaposition. If it was the former, it would date the photo closer to 1980 rather than 1982, as some posts suggested. 

Snider said Prevost was particularly excited for the movie at the time because it was filmed in Chicago. 

For further reading on Pope Leo XIV, Snopes previously dug into a series of questionable quotes attributed to the pope and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian's comments defending Leo after Trump criticized him.