Pope Francis Fake News Warning: He Compares Reading False Propaganda To Poop-Eating [Opinion]

The Pope Francis fake news warning is something that should probably be taken to heart, regardless of the wording he used, the things he got wrong, and whether you’re religious or not, as he’s basically telling people that lying is wrong, and unless there’s been a significant change in how the average good person sees the world, this is a universally held belief.

Many people will likely think the Pope Francis fake news warning is a bit over the top, as his explanations on the matter can accurately be described as peculiar.

Reuters reports that to the Pope, purposely spreading misinformation to a large group of people is a “sin,” and he says that those who participate in doing so could at some point fall victim to coprophilia, a condition in which a person gets sexually excited by fecal matter. Pope Francis goes on to say that those who regularly consume fake news could end up with coprophagia, a condition in which a person eats feces.

“I think the media have to be very clear, very transparent, and not fall into – no offence intended – the sickness of coprophilia, that is, always wanting to cover scandals, covering nasty things, even if they are true,

“And since people have a tendency towards the sickness of coprophagia, a lot of damage can be done.”

This bizarre aspect of Pope Francis’ fake news warning is not to be taken in a literal sense, of course, but does he always express his beliefs in such a curious way? And does the Pope know that there are people out there who will take him literally due to rumors and hearsay? Obviously not, if he’s as against fake news as his statements on the issue illustrate.

In his statement, Pope Francis insinuates that the media’s “coprophilia” is not about just fake news stories, but true ones as well, such as “scandals” and “nasty things.” Is he suggesting that the press should cease to report the truth because it’s undesirable? The truth is all we have, and if the media were to take his advice and keep reality from the people, they’d be guilty of promoting a utopia that doesn’t exist, which means they’d be telling the world one big lie over and over again, and lies are the last thing anyone needs. Ignorance may be bliss, but only up to a certain point.

Included in Pope Francis’ fake news statement was his disapproval of people using the media to humiliate and demonize others, a practice of which the world got to witness many times during the 2016 United States presidential election.

“The means of communication have their own temptations, they can be tempted by slander, and therefore used to slander people, to smear them, this above all in the world of politics… They can be used as means of defamation…

“No-one has a right to do this. It is a sin and it is hurtful”

Pope Francis is right in that the practices of slander and defamation are hurtful, but he’s wrong in saying no one has the right to engage in such behavior. Perhaps in some parts of the world not everyone has the freedom to skewer others through the press, but in America it’s a common and accepted thing to do, especially in the world of politics.

Has the Pope ever been portrayed as a less-than-ideal man? As an internationally known figure it’d be practically unheard of if he hasn’t been negatively represented by someone through the media. Even Pope Francis has naysayers, right?

As it turns out, not only has he been negatively represented, but critics of the Pope have also gone so far as to declare him as being the Antichrist himself. Others have proclaimed their belief that he is the False Prophet of the Bible.

Long before Pope Francis’ fake news comments, Charisma News provided a handful of reasons for why the pontiff is thought of by many to be either of these dark biblical figures.

Written in July of 2015, the article claims the Pope’s favorability dropped 20 percentage points from the same time in 2014, and indicates that his decline in popularity has to do with his views on LGBTQ rights, abortion, Islam, and the New World Order.

The fact that Pope Francis appears to have a liberal stance on controversial topics seems to be at the center of the theories that he’s in cahoots with the Christian devil. Perhaps these very speculations are part of what he’s talking about regarding fake news.

The Pope Francis fake news statement may be strange, but strange is nothing new to the Catholic leader. He is different from any other Pope before him, and as long as he turns out not to be the Antichrist or False Prophet from Christian beliefs, he’s likely to be different from any of his successors.

[Featured Image by Gregorio Borgia/AP Images]