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Vatican conference was held in 2021, is not upcoming
If Your Time is short
• This is not breaking news. The conference was held in May 2021 after being postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It featured religious leaders, doctors, scientists, ethicists, policymakers and high-profile people, including entertainers and athletes, and focused on COVID-19 and other global health threats.
A social media post announces an upcoming conference hosted by the Vatican with what seem to be surprising details.
The March 27 post on Facebook says, "JUST IN: The Vatican has invited Chelsea Clinton, Dr. Fauci, New Age figure Deepak Chopra and the CEOs of Moderna and Pfizer to speak at a May conference focusing on 'health' and the 'soul.'"
It’s a screenshot of a tweet that also says, "Was Satan unavailable?"
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
In this case, the Vatican did call a meeting that involved these people — but it’s not breaking news. The conference happened in May 2021 after being postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The event featured a long list of dignitaries and did include as speakers Clinton, Fauci, Chopra and the chief executives of Moderna and Pfizer. Others included Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health; primatologist Jane Goodall; Princess Dina Mired of Jordan; soprano Renee Fleming; lead guitarist for Aerosmith Joe Perry; former professional football player Brandon Marshall; and supermodel Cindy Crawford.
The Associated Press called it "a unique Vatican conference on COVID-19, other global health threats and how science, solidarity and spirituality can address them." It also featured rabbis, cardinals, imams and representatives of Christian denominations, the AP reported.
The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context. We rate it Half True.
Our Sources
Associated Press, "Vatican Conference Features Fauci, Francis — and Aerosmith," May 6, 2021
Facebook post, March 27, 2022
VaticanConference2021.com, "Dignitaries and Speakers," accessed March 29, 2022
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Vatican conference was held in 2021, is not upcoming
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