Did the Pope perform an exorcism on television? An Italian religious channel and the Vatican’s former chief exorcist thought so after footage of Pope Francis blessing a boy in a wheelchair was aired.

The footage, taken on the sidelines of a Pentecost ceremony on Sunday, sees the head of the Catholic Church as he lays both his hands on the boy’s head while the boy shakes and seemingly screams in agony.

When the pontiff took off his hands, the boy appears to have collapsed in his wheelchair.

Vatican TV network TV 2000 said that it asked other exorcists, who also alleged that Pope Francis undoubtedly either recited a prayer to free the boy from the devil or has performed an exorcism.

But when the Vatican issued a statement, with spokesman Federico Lombardi saying that “the Holy Father did not intend to perform any exorcism” and that he “simply intended to pray for someone who was suffering who was presented to him,” TV director Dino Boffo said an apology for their error.

Still, there are people who believe that that was exactly what happened.

Vatican former chief exorcist Gabriel Amorth insisted that it “was an exorcism alright and if Father Lombardi denies this, he clearly does not have a clue.”

“That was a real exorcism and what is more, the boy the pope exorcised came to me today,” he was quoted by La Stampa Daily’s Vatican Insider as he spoke in a radio interview.

“His name is Angelo and he is possessed by four demons. I performed a long exorcism on him.”

As Amorth explained, what the pope did qualified as an exorcism because it is “also performed by placing one’s hands on a person’s head and praying, without resorting to written exorcism.”

Rome-based systematic theologian Reverend Giulio Maspero, who has witnessed and participated in several exorcisms, also believes that Francis said a prayer that was either a full-fledged exorcism or just to “liberate” the boy from a demonic possession.

“When you witness something like that – for me it was shocking – I could feel the power of prayer,” he told AP.