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Yes, Pope Francis wrote letter criticizing 'major crisis' of mass deportations in US
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has been the subject of numerous rumors with varying degrees of truth.
by Izz Scott LaMagdeleine , April 1, 2025
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died April 21, 2025, at age 88 after suffering from chronic lung disease.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced the news from the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, where Francis lived, per The Associated Press. "At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church," Farrell said .
Shortly after the announcement, Snopes readers searched our website for information to confirm Francis' death. Meanwhile, reputable news outlets such as The Guardian and New York Times published full obituaries memorializing him.
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has been the subject of numerous rumors — including death hoaxes . Other claims included whether Francis once disappeared on live TV (false ), "requested" marriage rights for Catholic priests (a mixture of true and false ) and once called transgender people "children of God" (correct attribution ).
Here are 25 rumors Snopes has investigated about Francis in no particular order:
By Izz Scott LaMagdeleine
Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is the web producer/production editor for Snopes.
Did Pope Francis Shock World by Endorsing Donald Trump for President?
July 10, 2016
Reports that His Holiness endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump originated wit ...
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Did Pope Francis Say It's Not Necessary to Believe in God?
Dec. 15, 2014
Although Pope Francis did make statements in 2013 that were widely received as atypically inclus ...
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Did Pope Francis Call Transgender People 'Children of God'?
Aug. 23, 2023
Fire up Google Translate for this fact check.
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Did Pope Francis Say It Was Better to Be an Atheist Than a Bad Catholic?
Feb. 28, 2017
Versions of a remark Pope Francis made about atheists and Catholics were misleadingly paraphrased.
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Did Pope Francis Say 'God Has Instructed Me to Revise the Ten Commandments'?
July 7, 2015
"The Pope said the updated Commandments reflect the changing times and include some minor reword ...
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Pope Francis Disappears on Live TV, Explained
Nov. 3, 2021
A video showed the pope go poof. Here's what happened.
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Pope Francis Once Said 'All Religions Are Paths to God'
Dec. 11, 2024
Popular evangelists shared the quote online.
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Did Pope Francis Meet With Bill Clinton and Alexander Soros?
July 10, 2023
"BREAKING Pope Francis has met with both Bill Clinton and Alex Soros in the Vatican," a tweet po ...
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Did Pope Francis Write the 'Gentle Reminder' Message?
Jan. 4, 2018
The uplifting message offers tips on how to live more fulfilling lives, and encourages less comp ...
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Did Pope Francis Say 'Eat Whatever You Want For Easter'?
Feb. 18, 2024
Holding with long-standing tradition, the pope released a message commemorating the beginning of ...
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Did Pope Francis 'Request' Marriage Rights for Catholic Priests?
April 12, 2018
News reports exaggerated the scope and significance of comments made by the pontiff.
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Pope Francis on Pets Over Kids: Full Transcript and Video
Jan. 6, 2022
Here is the full transcript and the video of Pope Francis' remarks on adoption, children, and pets.
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Did Pope Francis Really Tweet This Praise of the Middle Finger?
Feb. 2, 2023
Twitter got a taste of the bird through papal musings.
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Did the Pope Say That Hell Doesn't Exist?
March 30, 2018
The Vatican disputed claims that Pope Francis denied the existence of Hell.
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Did Pope Francis Slap Away President Trump's Hand?
May 26, 2017
A papal video clip mocked President Trump's perceived icy relationship with his wife, Melania.
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Did Pope Francis Allow a Little Girl to Sit with Him During a Homily?
Feb. 13, 2018
The story was essentially true, but it picked up some embellishment along the way.
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Did Pope Francis Perform the Tablecloth Trick?
Oct. 8, 2015
Pope Francis seemingly pulled off a popular trick and whisked a tablecloth from atop a table wit ...
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Did the Vatican Confirm Pope Francis Had Coronavirus?
March 3, 2020
An unreliable website furthered rumors about the pontiff's health in early 2020.
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Pope Francis Decries 'Sin' of Spreading Disinformation
Dec. 7, 2016
In an interview, Pope Francis decried the spread of false information as sinful — but he didn't ...
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Did Pope Francis Say Gun Owners 'Can't Call Themselves Christians Anymore'?
May 9, 2018
A notorious fake news web site wrenches the Pope's remarks out of context to create yet another ...
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Pope Francis Isn't Opening '5 Sacred Portals' on Christmas Eve for Never-Before-Performed Ritual
Dec. 17, 2024
The claim refers to a Roman Catholic tradition known as the Jubilee, or "Holy Year."
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Is This Real Footage of Pope Francis with Circus Performers?
Oct. 5, 2023
Stranger things have happened.
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Did Pope Francis Say This About 'Rivers Drinking Their Own Water'?
Sept. 23, 2022
The quote has been online longer than Francis has been pope. A version of it even made it into a ...
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Did Pope Francis Prevent People from Kissing His Ring?
March 27, 2019
With so many well-done fake videos of the pope, it can be difficult to tell which ones are real.
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Yes, Pope Francis wrote letter criticizing 'major crisis' of mass deportations in US
April 1, 2025
The pope appeared to push back against a statement JD Vance made regarding "ordered love," a med ...
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