Scottish Catholic Observer

One trend that emerged from the recent US election was a barrage of fake news stories. Perhaps the most ludicrous example was a widely spread claim that Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump.

Earlier this year, a hoax website WTOE 5 News reported that the Pope had broken tradition and endorsed the then US candidate.

The defamatory website created a fake statement from Pope Francis, which read:
“I have been hesitant to offer any kind of support for either candidate in the US presidential election but I now feel that to not voice my concern would be a dereliction of my duty as the Holy See.

“A strong and free America is vitally important in maintaining a strong and free world and in that sense what happens in American elections affects us all. The Rule of Law is the backbone of the American government as it is in any nation that strives for freedom and I now fear that the Rule of Law in America has been dealt a dangerous blow.”

“The FBI, in refusing to recommend prosecution after admitting that the law had been broken on multiple occasions by Secretary Clinton, has exposed itself as corrupted by political forces that have become far too powerful.”

“Though I don’t agree with Mr Trump on some issues, I feel that voting against the powerful political forces that have corrupted the entire American federal government is the only option for a nation that desires a government that is truly for the people and by the people. For this primary reason I ask, not as the Holy Father, but as a concerned citizen of the world that Americans vote for Donald Trump for President of the United States.”

WTOE 5 News claimed Pope Francis’ endorsement of Donald Trump had received extensive reportage from ‘news outlets around the world,’ though all reliable news outlets denied or ignored the report. In reality, Pope Francis spoke out against the US president-elect, saying that anyone who wants to build a wall between borders is not a Christian.

Despite the story being completely false, the link was shared over Facebook almost 70,000 times.

The fake news outlet makes a cursory attempt to cover itself in its disclaimer, saying: “WTOE is a fantasy news site.” This however did not stop many people from initially believing the story was true.

The website published a similar article in 2015, claiming that Pope Francis endorsed Bernie Sanders. This was also fake.