Pope Francis blasts fake news and 'hateful messages'

(ANSA) - Vatican New, January 24 - Pope Francis blasted fake news and the use of messages of hate in his Message for World Day of Social Communication. "Often on communication platforms, instead of constructive stories which serve to strengthen social ties and the cultural fabric, we find destructive and provocative stories that wear down and break the fragile threads binding us together as a society," the pope said. "By patching together bits of unverified information, repeating banal and deceptively persuasive arguments, sending strident and hateful messages, we do not help to weave human history, but instead strip others of their dignity.
    "In an age when falsification is increasingly sophisticated, reaching exponential levels (as in deepfake), we need wisdom to be able to welcome and create beautiful, true and good stories. "We need courage to reject false and evil stories.
    "We need patience and discernment to rediscover stories that help us not to lose the thread amid today's many troubles. "We need stories that reveal who we truly are, also in the untold heroism of everyday life".