Mexican film ‘El Habitante’ sparks controversy over Pope Leo XIV scene

A 2017 Mexican horror film, ‘El Habitante’ directed by Guillermo Amoedo, has sparked online controversy due to a scene depicting the death of a Pope named Leo XIV. The clip has gained renewed attention following news from the Vatican regarding the health of the actual Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost.

In the film, a news broadcast reports that the Pope died following hospitalization due to septicemia and cardiopulmonary collapse. While the cinematic scenario shares similarities with current events—specifically the Pope’s recent hospitalization for lung cancer surgery—the Vatican has clarified that Pope Leo XIV is recovering from his procedure and has not passed away.

Speculation arose because the film was released eight years before Robert Francis Prevost assumed the papacy and chose the name Leo XIV. Observers noted the coincidence of the name and the mention of a prior hospitalization in the movie's opening sequence.