Disinformation and conspiracy theories as the secret conclave begins to elect the next Pope!
Misinformation circulating online has sown confusion as the secret conclave to elect the next pope began at the Vatican today. The conclave comes after the death of Pope Francis, an event that was also marred by a wave of misinformation.
Considered one of the most progressive figures to have served as pope, the late Pope was frequently targeted by false narratives, prompting him to denounce disinformation as "dangerous" and a "tragedy" that "fuels conflict."
The closed-door conclave starting Wednesday will see 133 cardinal electors sequester themselves inside the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, with one round of voting expected to take place on Wednesday, followed by four rounds each day before a cardinal receives the two-thirds majority needed to be elected pope.
The process will take as long as it takes to reach the necessary majority, although the last three conclaves have all lasted less than three days. The cardinals are sworn to secrecy about the voting process. But the conclave has been tainted by a slew of false claims and conspiracy theories that have circulated online in recent weeks. Internet users falsely claim that the pope has already been elected.
As early as April 21, a video appeared on YouTube purporting to be a news report that Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle had been elected. The fake report, first spotted by Philippine digital news outlet The Rappler, is titled “Breaking News: Cardinal Tagle Elected as Pope Luis I.” Cardinal Tagle is being touted as one of the leading candidates to replace Pope Francis once the conclave concludes.
The 67-year-old Filipino has decades of experience as a cardinal and is considered to belong to the "moderate" wing of the Catholic Church. He has also been called by some as the "Asian Francis" because of his concern for the poor and marginalized, which has distinguished Pope Francis. However, Tagle has faced criticism for what some consider his timid response to allegations of sexual abuse against members of the Catholic Church and the brutal repression in his native Philippines by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Similar false claims that Cardinal Robert Sarah, considered a favorite among the more conservative cardinals by votes, has been elected pope, have been circulating, mainly on Facebook and TikTok. A Facebook post published by an account similar to the bot reads: "Breaking news: The new Pope has just been announced."
It is accompanied by an AI-generated photo showing Cardinal Sarah in the papal robes, against the backdrop of the Vatican. A reverse image search shows that there is no published evidence that Cardinal Sarah ever wore the robes, and the photo has been flagged as AI-manipulated by three AI detection tools. There is no truth to these claims. The papal seat has been vacant since the death of Pope Francis, a period known as the Sede Vacante, and will remain so until the conclave concludes.
Another cardinal considered a favorite to become the next pope, Pietro Parolin of Italy, has been the target of a series of fake news reports about a deterioration in his health days before the conclave. Italian media outlets have tried to point the finger at the American Catholic news site Catholicvote.org, which published the fraudulent report on May 1 citing “Italian media sources.” But the news also appeared on Italian sites such as Virgilio and Il Giornale, and was in turn amplified by journalists on social media.
A spokesman for the Holy See Press Office categorically denied these claims during a press conference last Friday, and the Press Office later issued a statement saying that "during the meeting with journalists, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, rejected the hypothesis of Cardinal Pietro Parolin's illness, specifying that no such incident had occurred. He also denied the involvement of medical or nursing staff."
Analysts have long denounced how false rumors can discredit candidates on the eve of a new appointment, with Pope Francis facing similar false reports about his health on the eve of the 2013 conclave.
Cardinal Parolin, Pope Francis' former top adviser, is being touted as one of the strongest papal candidates, or candidates to be elected the next pope. Disinformation about the conclave is targeting The Guardian
A doctored screenshot imitating a Guardian editorial titled "The next pope must be Muslim or there will be violence on the streets of Europe" has also been circulating online. The article is incorrectly attributed to journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Both The Guardian and Alibhai-Brown have confirmed that they never published such an article.
A look at The Guardian's author page for Alibhai-Brown also shows that she has not written for the publication since 2016. A closer look at the screenshot shows that the logo reads 'The Grauniad', a familiar colloquial name for the British newspaper, showing how it has been manipulated. The screenshot was first published by an X account called 'The Grauniad Official', which consistently attributes fake headlines to The Guardian.
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