After the death of Benedict XVI, a photograph began to circulate on the Polish Internet, which, according to Internet users, is supposed to show “three popes” together, or more precisely: one then in office and two later. This photo is not the first time it has been circulated – but it is not real.
In connection with death On December 31, 2022, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI i funeral ceremonies In the Vatican, a black and white photo appeared on social media, which is supposed to be unique because it is supposed to show three popes together. Between John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Benedict XVI) a smiling Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (later Francis) is to stand. This picture was published, among others, on January 5 on the Twitter account of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lublin, Stanisław Budzik.
The entry of the Polish archbishop has 114,000. views. Internet users commenting under the photo are divided. Some believe that it is authentic, and by the way they do not spare words of criticism of the Catholic hierarchs: “And all three of them hiding pedophilia in the Catholic church”; “The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse”; “Each of them has victims of pedophiles in cassocks on their conscience.” Others report that the photo has been altered: “I recommend removing it because it’s fake”; “Sorry, but it’s an edited photo. There isn’t one where they are in 3…”; “There is one pope in the photo, and secondly, this photo is a photomontage”; “Father Bergoglio’s head was glued in artificially, unfortunately” (original spelling of all entries).
The fact-checking editorial office of the Italian portal Open.online informs that photography is now also popular in Italy. On the Facebook account of an Italian woman, she had 4,000. shares (post already deleted). It appeared with the caption: “Attention sensationally historic photo of the last three popes of our Holy Church.. This is a unique photo. It is exciting to see them together. Young Pope Francis together with Charles and the august Pope Ratzinger. (…) Spread the word” (trans. ed.).
As we checked, this photo has been circulating on social media for at least a decade. For example, in Poland in August 2016 published one of the Internet users asked her: “Have you ever seen three popes in one photo?”. In turn, in Italy it was published, among others, in 2013, 2020, 2014 year (one of the Facebook posts had 51 thousand sharesother – 102 thousand.).
Not Bergoglio, but Gagnon
The original photo can be seen in base Associated Press agency. The author is Massimo Sambucetti. According to the description there, the photo was taken on December 20, 1985 in the Wartakan, in Sala Klementyńska, during a pre-Christmas meeting. It is clear that between Cardinal Ratzinger and John Paul II is not Cardinal Bergoglio, but another church hierarch. However, there is no information who it is.
In the real photo, Edouard Gagnon, a Canadian cardinal, is standing in the middleAP
In 2013, the portal of a Catholic news agency from Latin America Aciprensa.com reported, that in the middle between Ratzinger and John Paul II stood a Canadian cardinal Eduard Gagnon. In 1985-1990 he was president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. After his death in 2007, the then Pope Benedict XVI described him as “a faithful shepherd who, in the evangelical spirit, devoted his life to the service of Christ and his Church.”
According to an Italian fact-checking website Facta.news the source of the misunderstanding – and subsequently created fake news – is the Filipino journalist Harold Geronimo, who in 2013 tweeted the original photo, mistakenly referring to Cardinal Gagnon as Bergoglio.
Main photo source: Twitter