On 2 Contrasting Easter Reports, Pope Leo Considers "Fake News"

His Holiness contested the truth of the Resurrection with the fake news of the bribed Roman guards tht the Body of Christ hd been stolen.

From Aleteia

By Kathleen N. Hattrup

From the same fact — the empty tomb — two interpretations arise: one a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death.

Pope Leo considered one of the most momentous instances of "fake news" in all of human history: the soldiers saying (after being bribed) that Jesus' body had been stolen.

On Easter Monday, before chanting the Regina Caeli with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo considered the Christian call to be heralds of truth.

He offered words of hope, saying that even in a world of fake news and falsehoods: "Yet, in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden."

Here is a full translation of his brief reflection:

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Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Happy Easter!

This greeting, filled with wonder and joy, will accompany us throughout this week. As we celebrate the new day the Lord has made for us, the liturgy proclaims the entry of all creation into the time of salvation: in the name of Jesus, the despair of death is swept away forever.

Today’s Gospel (Mt 28:8–15) calls us to choose between two accounts: that of the women who encountered the risen Lord (vv. 9–11), and that of the guards who were bribed by the leaders of the Sanhedrin (vv. 11–14). The former proclaim Christ’s victory over death; the latter assert that death prevails always and in every circumstance. According to their version, Jesus has not risen; instead, his body was stolen. From the same fact — the empty tomb — two interpretations arise: one a source of new and eternal life, the other of certain and definitive death.

This contrast invites us to reflect on the value of Christian witness and the integrity of human communication. Often, the proclamation of truth is obscured by what we today call “fake news” — lies, insinuations, and unfounded accusations. Yet, in the face of such obstacles, the truth does not remain hidden; rather, it comes forth to meet us, living and radiant, illuminating even the deepest darkness. Just as he spoke to the women at the tomb, Jesus says to us today: “Do not be afraid; go and tell” (v. 10). In this way, he himself becomes the Good News to be witnessed in the world. The Passover of the Lord is our Passover — the Passover of all humanity — for this man who died for us is the Son of God, who gave his life for us. Just as the risen One, ever living and present, frees the past from a destructive end, so the Easter proclamation redeems our future from the tomb.

Dear friends, how important it is that this Gospel reach, above all, those oppressed by the evil that corrupts history and confuses consciences! I think of peoples afflicted by war, of Christians persecuted for their faith, of children deprived of an education. To proclaim the Paschal mystery of Christ in both word and deed means to give a new voice to hope — a hope otherwise stifled by the hands of the violent. Wherever it is proclaimed, the Good News sheds light upon every shadow, in every age.