TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of posts on Facebook [archive] and Instagram in June 2026 spread the claim that the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, and the Rector of Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, had signed a treaty on one world religion.
The agreement, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019, was claimed to reflect the agenda of global leaders who want to create a single religion and eliminate religious diversity. The link was accompanied by an article from the website technocracy.news that included a photo of Pope Francis and Al-Tayeb appearing to kiss.
However, did Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb really sign a treaty on one world religion?
FACT CHECK
Tempo's Fact Check team verified the claim using a Google reverse image search and information from credible sources. In fact, the agreement signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb regarding human fraternity is not a treaty on one world religion, but rather a document on Human Fraternity.
Image Source
Social media users are sharing a photo of Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb kissing. The photo was taken after the two signed the Treaty of Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Monday, February 4, 2019. The original photo was posted on the Reuters news website.
The two of them then did the la bise greeting or kissed each other on the right and left cheeks, as shown in the video on the Christian Media Center YouTube channel, precisely at the 2nd minute and 58th second.
In addition, social media users also included a link to a website called Technocracy News, posted on February 11, 2019.
According to an assessment by the independent website watchdog, Media Bias Fact Check, Technocracy News is an extreme right-wing conspiracy website that promotes pseudoscience. The information published is largely false and unverified.
Video Source
Other content circulating on Instagram does not use a link or photo of the meeting between Pope Francis and Ahmed al-Tayeb. However, the narrative and claims are similar, namely, regarding a one-world religion agreement signed by the two religious leaders.
The video was taken from the Architects Journal YouTube channel on September 24, 2019. The video features the design of the Abrahamic Family House, designed by Adjaye Associates. The design is displayed in 3D.
The architectural design visual is then augmented with an English-language narrator's voice, who explains that the Antichrist, a biblical entity opposed to Christianity, will establish a one-world religion. The narrator then links the Brotherhood Agreement document to the Antichrist.
About the Fraternity Agreement Document
The document signed by Pope Francis and Ahmed al-Tayeb is a joint declaration of Human Fraternity, which contains points regarding their commitment to world peace and living together.
The historic meeting between the two leaders of the Catholic and Muslim faiths was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where the latter was then President of the UN Security Council.
The Vatican's website notes that the signed document broadly calls for peace for all religions and nations. It addresses more than just conflict, terrorism, or extremism; it also addresses the roots of poverty and inequality.
In his speech in front of the UAE Founders Monument in Abu Dhabi, Pope Francis called on the world's religions to declare their rejection of war.
"The time has come for religions to play a more active role, with courage and decisiveness, and without pretense, to help humanity deepen its capacity for peace, for hope, and for concrete steps towards peace," Pope Francis said, as quoted by the Associates Press.
Similarly, Ahmed al-Tayeb emphasized to the audience that Islam is a religion of peace that values human life.
"All religions are sacred and free from terrorism and armed groups, regardless of the religion or beliefs of those groups, who their victims are, or where their crimes are committed," al-Tayeb said.
CONCLUSION
Tempo concludes that the information accusing Pope Francis and Ahmed al-Tayeb of signing a treaty on one world religion is a misleading narrative.
TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM
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