So have you heard that Pope Leo will be dining with trans activists? Here we go again! Another trans-friendly pontiff siding with the evil enemies of the Catholic Church! Surely you’ve heard about this. And if you have, then you’ve been reading Life Site News and paying too much attention to social media. Let’s talk about the truth; not just to clear up the facts or to identify fake news, but to highlight the reality that you can’t always trust what you get from media—even, in some cases, Catholic media.

This happened to me on 𝕏 today…

“Sign of the Cross” is actually LifeSite News. They join at least two secular publications—Pink News and Gateway Pundit—in misrepresenting the truth of what’s really happening at the Vatican. First let me put the facts in front of you, and then let’s talk about the markers of deception coming out of LSN and others.

Here are the facts according to Catholic Herald, MSN News and others. Pope Leo will be sharing lunch with about 1,300 invited guests in the Paul VI Hall following mass for the Jubilee for the Poor. Five of the attendees are transgender activists. Each of the guests will receive a backpack with some essential items. From what I can tell, at least one of those activists requested an invitation. What the Vatican’s criteria were for issuing these invitations, I don’t know. But with 1,300 guests, I’d bet the Vatican didn’t hand-pick the invited guests. The Vatican likely delegated the invitations to smaller agencies who work with the poor and needy. That’s usually how these events go, whether at the Vatican, or at within a local diocese.

So those are the facts. No drama, no controversy, and no “scandal” at the Vatican. Five people out of 1,300 guests happen to be trans and it’s part of a much larger event, the Jubilee for the Poor. Now let’s get down and dirty on the real scandal here.

What do these posts from these two publications have in common? They’re both lying to you. Secular outlet Pink News uses a headline that can suggest to the reader that the Holy Father specifically invited trans activists to “dine” with him, personally. It can prompt an image of a dinner party hosted by the pope, with trans activists on the exclusive guest list. Catholic news outfit LifeSite News does the same with its post, going further by saying Leo will “meet” with “TRANSGENDER” (they just had to make that all-caps for added spotlight and impact) activists, which suggests an intentional private audience with them, before also adding “Another scandal from the Vatican!” (they just had to throw in that exclamation point for added emphasis and drama.) The story being told by the headline, the 𝕏 post, and the visual rhetoric of a suspiciously included image that makes the pope look ashamed of himself (Believe it or not, those visual elements are deliberately considered in the editorial process, even for social media) is not the story of what’s actually happening.

There’s money in news reporting because it’s based on an economy of attention. News sites need eyeballs, they need clicks, and they need readers to say on-site for as long as possible to increase click-through potential, and increase the value of their digital real estate for advertisers. So news sites have to get your attention with hooks (clickbait, anyway?), and then they have to hold on to it. They also want to build trust so that you’ll keep coming back. They build trust through an illusion of security, by triggering your emotions, and then providing the remedy for the anger or fear they’ve prompted you to feel. You know this very well. "

The only ways to do that are to appeal to your interest, or to prompt your interest through an exploitation of your emotions (the drama hook and the sensationalization of the facts). Welcome to the sordid world of modern media.

We all know that secular media does this all the time. Faith and trust in media is at historic lows across brands (See Pew Research, Gallup). But most people are surprised when I tell them that some independent Catholic media companies do this, too, on a greater or lesser level.

I would put LifeSite News in that “greater level” category. Let’s talk about their deceptive reporting of this so-called “scandal from the Vatican!”

“A famous trans activist said he will join Pope Leo XIV for dinner at the Jubilee of the Poor event this coming Sunday.”

Their reporting opens immediately with language and detail intended to shock the reader. A “famous” trans activist…” Alessia Nobile is a biological male; maybe famous in the world of trans-activism but his fame doesn’t extend to the Catholic world. The article continues “The gender-confused man known as ‘Alessia Nobile’ was invited to the Jubilee of the Poor dinner”

That also isn't true. This is a lunch, not a dinner (speaks to scale and scope of the event) and he was invited because he requested an invitation, not because he might be famous and sought after. The article makes it sound like a personal invitation by the Pope.

LSN mentions “hundreds” will be in attendance, but the actual number is not a mystery—it’s 1,300 people, only five of them are trans/activists. Why is LFS seeming to make this look like a smaller event than it actually is? “Hundreds” may be a fact, but it isn’t the truth. Watch for that. Also, why call it a dinner when it’s actually a lunch? Why frame this as a sit-down between the Pope and trans activists when it’s a large event—not an intimate sit-down—with roots in Pope Francis's 2017 establishment of the World Day of the Poor?

The article also leans heavily on Nobile’s old letters with Pope Francis, and then adds “By all available public accounts, Francis did not tell Nobile that a man living as a woman is acting against nature.” Implying that Pope Leo’s lunch continues some perceived failures of Pope Francis while glossing over the purpose and scale of the event. The style is narrative-forward, not facts-forward, building suspense around "concerns" of gay rights or trans-ideology creeping into doctrine. What place does this detail from the past have anyway, given it has nothing at all to do with the event (Jubilee of the Poor)?

This rhetorical sleight-of-hand isn’t really a singular work of art by LFS; this is exactly the class and kind of product that comes out of their drama-mill every day. They crank these stories out like hotcakes, and then sell them as fine dining.

There’s money in deception, and there’s also power in it. Some news outlets—even some in the Catholic world—desire both. They want to bring in the money (as any business would) while also wielding power over their readers/viewers’ minds and wills. They do this by emotional appeal and exploitation. They tell the facts while hiding or reconfiguring the Truth. It’s the quickest way to the front door of the human intellect. Is your mind worth more than all that? Then it’s worthy of being guarded. Stay away from LSN and any other news outlet that uses sensationalism to fabricate “truth”

Here’s Gateway Pundit and their arguably worse spin on the facts. You may now add them to the list of drama pimps who shouldn’t be trusted (my thoughts below):

Pope Leo embraces transgenderism?? My goodness! What happens next, aliens from outer space invade earth to kidnap Santa Clause and bring him to Mars for all the Martian girls and boys? Hmmm..maybe!…just maayyybeee….

Follow me everywhere on socials @RealTJHaines X | Instagram | TikTok

Check out Stoking the Embers to go deep into the Catholic experience. Subscribe for free, or skip the subscription and