On social media, an image of a huge crowd has gone viral. While sharing the image users claim that “Italy begins dumping migrants at the door of the Vatican City after Pope Francis said it is a “sin” to “reject migrants.”
Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found that the claim was false. We found multiple media reports regarding the image. According to ‘AP News’ report published on 20 March, 2018 “June 5, 2013 file photo shows a general view of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square during Pope Francis general audience, at the Vatican.The Vatican’s crackdown on the commercial use of its official emblems has found resistance from a Spanish website that refuses to give up on referencing the seat of the Catholic Church in its masthead.”
Furthermore, we also found a report from ‘elnuevodia’ published on 20 March, 2018 stated “According to the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, the name belongs to the Catholic Church, although the Holy See has initiated hundreds of lawsuits against the use of its image.”
Moreover, we also looked about the viral claim. We did not found any such official news citing Italy begins dumping migrants at the door of the Vatican City after Pope Francis.
Conclusion
It is evident from the DFRAC’s fact check that the viral image dates back to 2013 which shows hows a general view of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square during Pope Francis general audience, at the Vatican.
