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Pope Francis Speaks Out Against ‘Cancel Culture’ and Anti-Vaxxers

The pontiff accused rich nations of “ideological colonization” over same-sex marriage and contraception and urged people to ignore disinformation and get vaccinated.

During his annual speech to Holy See ambassadors on Monday, Pope Francis denounced anti-vaccine misinformation and a “cancel culture” that he said prevents nations from being able to work together. Francis urged people to get vaccinated not just for themselves but for the greater good of society, calling health-care “a moral obligation.” He added the debate over vaccines is a result of people letting themselves “be influenced by the ideology of the moment, often bolstered by baseless information or poorly documented facts.” He also decried the influence of rich nations that practice “ideological colonization” through their advocacy for contraception, same-sex marriage, and progressive ideas around gender in other nations. He related this “colonization” to “cancel culture,” which he believes “under the guise of defending diversity… ends up cancelling all sense of identity.”