El Salvador cardinal says Facebook account posting Romero rumors is not his

San Salvador, El Salvador, Aug 14, 2017 / 15:13 pm

A cardinal from El Salvador says that a Facebook account attributed to him is fake, and that he did not post about Pope Francis' intent to travel to El Salvador for the potential canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

"This is Monsignor Gregorio Rosa Chávez to clarify that I don't have an account either on Twitter or on Facebook," the cardinal says in an audio recording released by the Archdiocese of San Salvador.

"There is an account that is being published under my name. I want you to know that it is an account that does not belong to me. So whatever is published there has nothing to do with me."

Cardinal Rosa Chávez's statement comes after reports that he had said on Facebook that Pope Francis is hoping to come to El Salvador for the possible canonization of Oscar Romero.

The Facebook post – in English – says, "Pope Francis has confirmed this evening his intention to come to [El Salvador] for the possible canonization of our blessed. I'll give more information in the next few days. God bless you all."

Several media outlets, including the Italian ANSA network, Crux, and America Magazine, cited the Facebook post in reporting the Pope's intent to travel to El Salvador. These stories were later retracted.

Although rumors have been circulating for some time that the Pope will travel to El Salvador for the possible canonization, no trip has been confirmed by the Vatican.

Archbishop Romero was killed due to hatred of the faith on March 24, 1980, in the midst of the birth of a civil war between leftist guerrillas and the dictatorial government of the right. He was beatified in El Salvador on May 23, 2015. His canonization cause is open, however, the final steps necessary for him to be declared a saint have not taken place.