A false message in the name of the Secretary of State and Cardinal of the Holy See Tarcisius Bertone appeared on Twitter, announcing the sudden death of the head of the Roman Catholic Church, foreign media reported.
The message, which was immediately denied by the Vatican, appeared last night on a social network. "The Holy Father passed away suddenly this afternoon. We announce this news with sadness and consternation," it said in Italian. Versions in Spanish, English and French soon appeared, which were also denied. "That news is without any basis. Both the message and the transmitted news are false. It has no sense and no credibility, and does not deserve any comment," said the spokesman of the Holy See, Federico Lombardi.
Pope Benedict XVI will turn 85 in April and he is the oldest supreme head of the Catholic Church in the last hundred years. Although he has recently shown signs of fatigue, which are normal for his age, Benedict XVI has not reduced his activities and will travel to Mexico and Cuba at the end of March.
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