- Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, aged 88
- And now a viral video has resurfaced of him being challenged to an ‘ice bucket’ challenge… by singer Shakira
- The hitmaker challenged the Pope back in 2014
The world was saddened by the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21.
And as world leaders paid their respects to the head of the Catholic church, social media exploded with tributes to him.
But in a turn of events, an unusual video also went viral – featuring the singer, Shakira.
Posted back in 2014, the Hips Don’t Lie hitmaker, 48, took part in the Instagram ‘ice bucket challenge’, in support of the disease, ALS.
Talking to the camera, Shakira revealed, “I’ve been nominated by Gisele Bündchen to take on the Ice Bucket Challenge, so I want to challenge Chris Martin… and Pope Francis.”
Her then-partner, Spanish football player Gerard Piqué, then threw the freezing bucket of water over Shakira’s head – to the sound of her shrieks.
Fans react to ‘Catholic queen’ Shakira
when Shakira nominated Pope Francis to do the ice bucket challenge 😭 pic.twitter.com/8dCiIWqm9o
— alex (@blackoutxvictim) April 21, 2025
While still mourning his death, others branded Shakira’s video as “iconic”.
“MY CATHOLIC QUEEN,” wrote one. Another added, “She just picked the first two people who came to mind, and you know what, fair play.”
Someone else went on, “She really invited Pope Francisco to do the ice bucket challenge… ughh, her mind. She’s never been more real.”
As another said, “I’m weak”, others couldn’t help but express their admiration for Shakira – and said they “love her”.
“She was serious too,” another went on, as someone else added, “I love how random she can be.”
Others had “forgotten” all about the ALS challenge – and branded it a “crazy timeline”.
“This was one of the weirdest celebrity times on the internet… right behind the Imagine cover to sing the Covid away,” someone recalled, referencing the viral celebrity video which Gal Gadot started in 2020.
How did the Pope die?
Pope Francis died at the age of 88.
According to the Vatican, his cause of death was a stroke and heart failure. He had suffered many health issues in recent years, and spent 38 days in hospital in February and March this year.
The first Latin-American leader of the Catholic church, he was appointed to the position in 2013, after the resignation of the late Benedict, who died in 2022.
The recently Francis was lauded for his work advocating for refugees, LGBT people and other oppressed minorities.
