The Vatican firmly denied reports in France on Friday that Pope Francis had telephoned a young gay French Catholic to reassure him. Christophe Trutino had claimed in a newspaper interview the Pontiff had told him “Your homosexuality. It doesn’t matter” in a personal call.

I think the Vatican can take a lesson from this.

You can’t control a false story/hoax from surfacing, but the Vatican should ask itself “Why did so many people believe it? And why did even the skeptical hold their breath a bit?”

I know the Pope wishes to portray the Church and the Papacy in a different light. But when you do something like that, you need to periodically ask your self “Am I sending the wrong message?”

That so many thought the story *might* be true should be a concern.

Something to think about.