On April 5, Georgian-language Facebook users (1,2) shared a quote from Pope Francis, who allegedly said that “God hates anti-vaxxers” and will punish them. The users claim that the Pope is “the main priest of Lucifer” and during the next pandemic, the World Health Organization will “start a brutal persecution of the unvaccinated.” The quote is taken from an article by The People’s Voice.
The claim that Pope Francis said that “God hates anti-vaxxers” is false. The information is spread by an unreliable outlet, and no reliable media has published a similar quote.
The People’s Voice published a news story on March 25, 2024, titled “Pope Francis Declares ‘God Hates Anti-Vaxers’. The publication writes that, according to the Pope, “Christians who refuse to take the dangerous mRNA vaccine are ‘heretics’ who will be judged harshly by God.” Along with publishing the Pope’s quotes, The People’s Voice also writes about green passports and recalls the past statements of the Vatican regarding Covid-19.
In fact, The People’s Voice only indicates in the headline that Pope Francis said that “God hates anti-vaxxers”, and does not repeat such a quote in the main body of the article. Such a statement of the Pope was not published by any other reliable media, including the news portal of the Holy See.
In the article by The People’s Voice, the author talks about the events of 2022 and the so-called green passports. The Pope was in favor of vaccination against Covid-19 and urged people to do the same. In the past years, the Pope said that vaccination is a “moral obligation”.
False information about Pope Francis has been debunked by “Myth Detector” a number of times in the past:
- DOES THE POPE REQUIRE VACCINATION TO ENTER HEAVEN?
- FABRICATED QUOTE ABOUT PEDOPHILIA DISSEMINATED IN THE NAME OF THE POPE
The People’s Voice is an Internet television station that has often spread conspiracy theories and questionable stories. It was founded by David Icke in 2013. Ike was a sports commentator for the BBC. At a press conference in 1991, he referred to himself as a “son of God” and said that the world would soon end. Ike spent years developing his conspiracy theories. The main conspiracy theory he believes in has to do with the world being ruled by a shape-shifting lizard Illuminati. The website of The People’s Voice systematically spreads false information, which has been debunked by Myth Detector.
About the Source
The Facebook account Maia Tvaltvadze regularly spreads disinformation and conspiracy theories. “Myth Detector” has debunked the false information spread by the user many times in the past.
The anonymous Facebook account “Christians of the Last Advent” often spreads disinformation with anti-vax content. “Myth Detector” has repeatedly verified the content published by the account.
Archive links: The People’s Voice, Christians of the Last Advent
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