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Did Pope Francis Prevent People from Kissing His Ring?

The pope was hospitalized with bronchitis on Feb. 14, 2025, and later developed double pneumonia.

by Izz Scott LaMagdeleine, March 27, 2019

A white man wears a large white hat with gold accents while sitting down.

Image courtesy of Getty Images

On Feb. 14, 2025, doctors hospitalized Pope Francis for bronchitis, which later led to double pneumonia. Doctors also reportedly treated the 88-year-old pope for a complex lung infection and placed him on a ventilator throughout his hospitalization.

While Pope Francis recovered to the point of being able to record an audio message released on March 6, doctors have said full recovery could take many weeks — and his lungs may never totally heal.

The news about Pope Francis' health caused us to take a look back at our past coverage of him. Some of the claims we've fact-checked include whether Pope Francis disappeared on live TV (false), the rumor that the pope "requested" marriage rights for Catholic priests (a mixture of true and false) and if he once called transgender people "children of God" (correct attribution).

Here are 24 of the rumors we've investigated about Pope 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 ...

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 ...

Did Pope Francis Call Transgender People 'Children of God'?

Aug. 23, 2023

Fire up Google Translate for this fact check.

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.

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 ...

Pope Francis did not disappear or vanish into thin air on live TV in a TikTok or YouTube video from the Vatican on television.

Pope Francis Disappears on Live TV, Explained

Nov. 3, 2021

A video showed the pope go poof. Here's what happened.

Pope Francis in traditional white papal clothing sitting on a big white chair, with his finger held to his mouth in thought.

Pope Francis Once Said 'All Religions Are Paths to God'

Dec. 11, 2024

Popular evangelists shared the quote online.

Several people gather together in a room to take a photo together. Many on the right are wearing black suits, while on the middle left a man wears all white with a cross around his neck.

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 ...

Pope Francis waving from the Popemobile.

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 ...

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 ...

Smiling Pope Francis surrounded by a crowd.

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.

Pope Francis made remarks on children and pets such as cats and dogs and well as adoption.

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.

Did Pope Francis Really Tweet This Praise of the Middle Finger?

Feb. 2, 2023

Twitter got a taste of the bird through papal musings.

Did the Pope Say That Hell Doesn't Exist?

March 30, 2018

The Vatican disputed claims that Pope Francis denied the existence of Hell.

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.

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.

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 ...

Did the Vatican Confirm Pope Francis Had Coronavirus?

March 3, 2020

An unreliable website furthered rumors about the pontiff's health in early 2020.

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 ...

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 ...

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."

Is This Real Footage of Pope Francis with Circus Performers?

Oct. 5, 2023

Stranger things have happened.

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 ...

ROME, ITALY - APRIL 18, 2014: Pope Francis celebrates the 'Via Crucis' procession at Colosseum in Rome on April 18, 2014

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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