FYI: Pope Francis Is Still Very Much Alive
Many are falling prey to fake news.
(SPOT.ph) Talk on Pope Francis has been all over social media—and not for the best reasons. As the 87-year-old pontiff remains hospitalized for double pneumonia at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, false reports of his supposed death have been spreading like wildfire, thanks to the unsuspecting faithful.
This fake news gained so much traction even Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan and his wife, Representative Ma. Cynthia "Cindi" King Chan, fell for it, posting premature condolences on February 23.
The couple has since issued a public apology.
“We deeply and humbly apologize for the error in our post last February 23 regarding the wrongly posted demise of His Holiness Pope Francis, who is still at present, bravely fighting for his life. We understand that this oversight had caused frustration, confusion, distress and even outrage amongst our followers and the Roman Catholic community, with that we are very sorry.”
As of February 25, official statements from the Vatican News confirmed that Pope Francis “had a restful tenth night in the hospital.” He remains in critical condition but is receiving appropriate medical care. In fact, he has even “shown a slight improvement” a day before.
Also read: Could Filipino Cardinal Tagle Be the Successor to Pope Francis?
Prayers for Pope Francis
Church leaders like Gregory Gaston, Rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, have called on the public to be more discerning with the news they share.
“Please be cautious about spreading false reports regarding Pope Francis’ [supposed] death,” Father Gregory Gaston said, as reported by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. “Some even misuse the Vatican News logo to deceive people.”
Meanwhile, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle called for prayers instead. In a homily at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino chapel, he emphasized the importance of solidarity during this time.
“Today, we pray in a special way for Pope Francis,” Tagle said. “In the spirit of communion and as the Gospel states, [we may] be vessels of God’s compassion to him and to many other people who are suffering from illness.”
For official updates on Pope Francis’s health, the faithful are better off checking Vatican News and other verified news sources. In the meantime, let’s all take a second before hitting "share"—because the Pope is still very much alive.
Also read: Pope Francis Selects Caloocan Bishop as New Cardinal