These days, with the Pope Francis hospitalizedit is crucial to inform yourself properly not to fall into the false news that travel social networks and that increase the understandable concern of the faithful.
Despite the Vatican’s zeal for informing daily about the evolution of the Holy Father, rumors about his health abound, so it is advisable to follow elementary practices to avoid being victims of misinformation.
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1. resort to official sources
The Press Office of the Holy See published two daily communications: the first on how the Pontiff spent the night and the second with a summary of the medical part.
Both are published on the official website Vatican News and in their accounts of Facebook and of the red social X.
2. Verify with prestigious Catholic media
If the information does not appear in the Vatican media, it is recommended to confirm it in the recognized Catholic media. Unlike the secular press, the Catholic press specializes in the church’s work and verifies the information about Pope Francis before making them known.
3. Review the date and time of publication
As we mentioned, the Vatican Press Office issues two daily updates on the Pope’s health since its hospitalization on February 14. Therefore there are numerous news or content about the health of Pope Francis with different information. To ensure read the most updated it is recommended to review the date and time when the media published its news and avoid sharing it if it is an old article.
4. To distrust alarmist holders
Unfortunately, there are media that, to obtain greater diffusion and win readers, do not hesitate to create sensationalist holders that in many cases do not coincide with the content of the note. It is advisable to maintain healthy skepticism before falling into the alarm of some media.
5. Eye with the images created with artificial intelligence
In these times of artificial intelligence, it would not be uncommon to run into the networks with false images of Pope Francis in health situations that can generate alarm in the faithful.
For these cases, it is recommended to verify with the official media of the Vatican and with the Catholic press.
6. Report deceptive content
If false or misleading information about the Pope’s health on social media platforms is found, it is recommended to use the report tools provided by these platforms to alert about the problematic content.
7. Digital responsibility
As Catholics, we have the duty to be credible communicators of truth. This implies discerning when consuming and sharing information. With a responsible attitude we will contribute to give truth information and avoid the dissemination of speculation and rumors.
As Pope Francis said in his message to The 2018 Communications Day“The way to avoid the expansion of misinformation is responsibility.”
Eduardo Berdejo
Professional in Social Communication of the National University of San Marcos in Peru, I have more than 20 years of experience in Catholic digital journalism. As part of ACI Press, I have been sent to cover the trips of Pope Francis to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, in addition to the Synod of Sinodality in the Vatican in 2023.