During a live broadcast on Christmas day, a British TV presenter accidentally announced Pope Francis died.
Contrary to her blunder, it has been confirmed His Holiness is very much alive.
He had just delivered the annual Christmas address on Saturday to the public from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.
Kylie Pentelow, an ITV News journalist and presenter, was reporting on the 85-year-old Pontiff's message to the public, urging them to get vaccinated.
“He said that vaccines should be made available to those most in need,” reported Pentelow, adding, “His death was announced … eh, excuse me.”
ITV just announced the death of The Pope by accidentpic.twitter.com/GS5RNCdm5b— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1640454160
In case viewers missed Pentelow immediately retracting her statement, Twitter assured users Pope Francis was not dead.
The Pope hasn\u2019t died! \n\nITV news. \u201cHis death was announced\u201d\n\n@itvnewspic.twitter.com/UxqRBVVKWg— Jamie Pragnell (@Jamie Pragnell) 1640453377
Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes.— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1640454465
When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen\u2019s death. We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this\u2026— Jenni Regan \ud83d\udc9b (@Jenni Regan \ud83d\udc9b) 1640461873
I did a double take when she said that too.— Wiggy2k (@Wiggy2k) 1640453731
Some users took the opportunity to roast the news reporter for the gaffe.
Who amongst us hasn\u2019t accidentally announced the death of the Pope to the entire nation on Christmas Day?https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/itv-newsreader-accidentally-announces-death-22573912\u00a0\u2026— Alistair Coleman (@Alistair Coleman) 1640457516
Breaking Pope newspic.twitter.com/r5CVwk6LBJ— "A FESTIVUS for the rest of US!" (@"A FESTIVUS for the rest of US!") 1640455282
Thoughts and prayers.— O WHAT I MEAN (@O WHAT I MEAN) 1640556659
Someone check up on the pope.— NFT (@NFT) 1640597038
...pic.twitter.com/cm1A4dNJxi— XFILES (@XFILES) 1640557842
Hello darkness my old friend...pic.twitter.com/112zH94YvC— Chuck Spadina \u2102\ud835\udd59\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd5a\ud835\udd54\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd6a \u2102\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd5c\ud835\udd6a (@Chuck Spadina \u2102\ud835\udd59\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd60\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd5a\ud835\udd54\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd6a \u2102\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd5f\ud835\udd5c\ud835\udd6a) 1640465229
In his special Christmas day message for the public, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the pandemic, urged for there to be health care for all, and asked that vaccines be made available to the poor.
He also encouraged dialogue in order to come up with solutions to many of the world's crises.
Said the Pope:
“Our capacity for social relationships is sorely tried; there is a growing tendency to withdraw, to do it all by ourselves, to stop making an effort to encounter others and do things together.”
“On the international level too, there is the risk of avoiding dialogue, the risk that this complex crisis will lead to taking shortcuts rather than setting out on the longer paths of dialogue."
"Yet only those paths can lead to the resolution of conflicts and to lasting benefits for all,” he added.
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