Pope says fake news and misinformation about Covid are human rights violations

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis said on Friday that sharing false news and misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines, including through Catholic media, is a violation of human rights.

It was the second time in less than a month that the 85-year-old pope had spoken on the subject. Three weeks ago, Francis condemned “baseless” ideological misinformation about vaccines, supporting national immunization campaigns and calling health care a moral obligation.

The pope made the remarks in a speech to members of the catholicfactchecking.com consortium of Catholic media outlets whose website says it aims to “clear up false news and misleading information” about Covid vaccines.

“Being properly informed, receiving help for situations based on scientific data and not fake news, is a human right,” the pope told the group. “Correct information must be guaranteed above all to those who are least equipped, the weakest and the most vulnerable.”

Francis denounced the spread of the “infodemic”, which he classified as a distortion of reality based on fear, fake or invented news and “alleged scientific information”.

Believers in fake news should not be placed in “ghettos”, but attempts must be made to try to win them over with scientific truth.

“Fake news needs to be refuted, but individual people always need to be respected, as they often believe without full awareness or responsibility,” Francis said.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella)