Pope Francis warned the media this week against spreading fake news and disinformation, and said doing so is akin to coprophilla, which is defined as an abnormal interest in feces and defecation.
“I think the media have to be very clear, very transparent, and not fall into — no offense intended — the sickness of coprophilia, that is, always wanting to cover scandals, covering nasty things, even if they are true,” Francis told Tertio, a Belgian Catholic paper, according to Reuters.
He also said the media’s actions put news consumers at risk of coprohagia, or eating excrement. “And since people have a tendency towards the sickness of coprophagia, a lot of damage can be done,” he said.
Francis added that using the media to slander people, especially in politics, is a sin.
“The means of communication have their own temptations, they can be tempted by slander, and therefore used to slander people, to smear them, this above all in the world of politics,” he said. “They can be used as means of defamation.”
“No-one has a right to do this. It is a sin and it is hurtful,” he added.
