Viral claims are spreading that Pope Leo XIV secretly signed a decree removing seven ancient books from the Bible — triggering outrage, division, and whispers of schism inside the Roman Catholic Church.
There is no verified evidence that any pope has removed books from Scripture in modern times — and no official confirmation from Vatican City supporting this claim.
To understand why this story raises red flags, it helps to know how biblical canon works. The Catholic biblical canon — including what Protestants call the Deuterocanonical books — was formally affirmed at the Council of Trent in the 16th century. Since then, no pope has unilateral authority to simply “remove” books from Scripture by decree. Any change to the canon would require an extraordinary doctrinal process involving the global episcopate — not a sealed-door signature.
Throughout history, debates have existed over certain texts (such as Tobit, Judith, or Maccabees), but those disputes were settled centuries ago within Catholic doctrine. While theological discussions continue in academic circles, there has been no official move to alter the canon.
When sensational claims reference “forbidden writings” or “dangerous texts,” they often blur the line between canonical Scripture and apocryphal works — ancient religious writings that were never formally included in the Catholic Bible to begin with.
If seven books had truly been removed from Scripture, the development would dominate global headlines, trigger formal synods, and prompt immediate public documentation from the Holy See. None of that has occurred.
At present, the claim appears to be speculative or fictional rather than based on documented ecclesiastical action. As with many dramatic Vatican narratives circulating online, extraordinary allegations require verifiable sources — and none have been presented.