Overview

• Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, hours after meeting U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance for Easter greetings, with the Vatican citing health complications as the cause of death.
• Vice President Vance expressed condolences on X, mentioning the Pope's frail health during their meeting the day before.
• A satirical conspiracy theory labeling Vance as the Antichrist and linking him to the Pope’s death originated from a viral X post by user @ycsm1n, which garnered over 6 million views.
• The theory quickly spread across platforms like TikTok and Reddit, with memes and jokes amplifying the narrative to millions of users.
• Public figures, including Jack Schlossberg, further popularized the meme, blurring the line between satire and serious discourse online.