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14th Nov 2018

Pope Francis has said that gossip is a ‘form of terrorism’

Jade Hayden

Guilty. 

Pope Francis has said that gossip is a “form of terrorism” and that those who engage in the practice are killing “… with their tongues (as) they drop a bomb and then leave.”

Speaking during his general audience at St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, the pontiff addressed the idea of “bearing false witness” and warned his listeners against telling lies.

ABC’s 13WHAM reports that Pope Francis said:

“We all live by communicating, and we are continuously on the edge between truth and lies.

“Gossipers are terrorists because with their tongues they drop a bomb and then leave, and the bomb they drop destroys reputations everywhere.”

The Pope then added: “Don’t forget: to gossip is to kill.”

This comes some months after Pope Francis compared abortion to “hiring a hitman.” 

The pontiff said that he thought the procedure was “not fair” and criticised those who are apparently “taking out a human life to solve a problem.”

“How can an act that suppresses innocent and defenceless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or simply human?” he asked.

“Is it fair to hire a hit man to solve a problem? It is not fair. We cannot take out a human being, even if it is small.”

This came after the Pope visited Ireland gave mass to under 130,000 people in Phoenix Park.

500,000 were expected to attend the event.