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Pope says gossiping is 'worse than COVID'

Gossip - Level 0

Pope Francis said gossip is worse than COVID. He said the devil is the "biggest gossiper" who lies a lot. He said gossip is dangerous. He called it, "a plague worse than COVID. He asked people to "make a big effort" to not gossip. He said: "If something goes wrong, pray, but never gossip."

In 2016, the Pope told people not to "fuel the terrorism of gossip". He said if people wanted to "drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue". Two years later he talked about gossip again. He said gossip is deadly "because the tongue kills, like a knife". A woman agreed. She said gossips were just "busybodies".

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Gossip - Level 1

Pope Francis said gossip is worse than COVID-19. He said the devil is the "biggest gossiper," who divides communities with his lies. He spoke about the dangers of gossip, saying: "Let's try to not gossip. Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Let's make a big effort. No gossiping." The Pope says gossiping is dangerous on social media. He tells people not to listen to Internet trolls. He said: "If something goes wrong, offer...prayer...but never gossip."

The Pope made his first speech since the pandemic started. It is not the first time he talked about gossip. In 2016, he warned people not to "fuel the terrorism of gossip". He said: "If you get an urge...to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue." Two years later he talked about gossip again. He said gossip is deadly "because the tongue kills, like a knife". A visitor to the Vatican agreed. She said gossips were just "scandalmongers and busybodies".

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Gossip - Level 2

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Pope Francis has said gossip is worse than COVID-19 and that it divides communities. He said the devil is the "biggest gossiper," who creates division with his lies. The Pope spoke about the dangers of gossiping during his weekly blessing. He said: "Please brothers and sisters, let's try to not gossip. Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Let's make a big effort. No gossiping." The Pope regularly speaks about the dangers of gossiping, especially on social media. He tells people not to listen to Internet trolls. He said: "If something goes wrong, offer...prayer...but never gossip."

The Pope was making his first speech since the pandemic started. It is not the first time he has made remarks on gossip. In 2016, he warned people not to "fuel the terrorism of gossip" and to resist temptation to spread gossip. He said: "If you get an urge...to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue. Hard." Two years later he brought the subject of gossip up again. He told worshippers in the Vatican that gossip is deadly "because the tongue kills, like a knife". A visitor to the Vatican agreed. She said: "Gossips are nothing but scandalmongers and busybodies."

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Gossip - Level 3

Pope Francis has said gossiping is worse than COVID-19. He said gossip is a danger that divides communities. He added that the devil is the "biggest gossiper" who is seeking to create division with his lies. The Pope spoke about the dangers of gossiping during his weekly blessing at the Vatican. He said: "Please brothers and sisters, let's try to not gossip. Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Worse. Let's make a big effort. No gossiping." The Pope has regularly spoken about the dangers of gossiping, especially on social media. He advises people not to listen to Internet trolls, saying: "If something goes wrong, offer silence and prayer for the brother or sister who make a mistake, but never gossip."

The Pope was making his first public audience since the pandemic started. His latest speech on gossip is not the first time he has made strong remarks on the topic. In 2016, he warned people not to "fuel the terrorism of gossip". He urged people to resist the temptation to spread gossip. He said: "If you get an urge to say something against a brother or a sister, to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue. Hard." Two years later he brought the subject up again. He told worshippers in St Peter's Square that gossip is lethal "because the tongue kills, like a knife". A visitor to the Vatican agreed. She said: "Gossips are nothing but scandalmongers and busybodies."

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