President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday joined the world in praying for the recovery of Pope Francis who remains in critical condition after suffering from respiratory infection and slight insufficiency in his kidney function.
The President took to social media to express his sadness over the health conditions of the 88-year-old Pontiff.
“We are one with the world in praying for his strength and recovery. May he be blessed and strengthened by the Lord so he may continue his mission of faith and love for the people,” he said.
As this developed, a Rome-based Filipino priest called on the faithful to avoid spreading false information regarding Pope Francis.
In a brief statement sent to CBCP News, Pontificio Collegio Filippino Rector Fr. Gregory Gaston warned the public against spreading fake news of the Pontiff supposedly being dead.
“Please be cautious about spreading false reports regarding Pope Francis’ death,” Gaston told the official news agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
He issued the warning after reading social media posts regarding the Pope’s supposed death, including attempts to make the reports look legitimate.
“Some even misuse the Vatican News logo to deceive people,” said Gaston.
The priest urged the public to only rely on the Vatican News website for accurate and official updates, stressing that “the Vatican News website will be the first to report any legitimate news.”
Several engagements of the Pope have already been cancelled as he continued to suffer from “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis.”
The Pope was initially admitted to Rome’s Policlinico Agostino Gemelli hospital on February 14. – With Gerard Naval
