Facebook's continued tolerance for obscene anti-Catholic pages in
Spanish are causing some users to question the site's policies – and
whether they should keep using the social network.
“I report anti-Catholic pages every so often,” user Carlos Wadsworth of
Costa Rica said in response to an open Facebook query from CNA executive
director Alejandro Bermudez.
“...and it is so disgusting that when I report a comment that is
literally an insult to a bishop and/or to all Catholics the answer from
Facebook is that the post does not violate Facebook policies.”
Mario De Jesús Gallardo Mendiolea, who says he is involved in
evangelization in the Diocese of Leon, Mexico, claims that Facebook's
policy is “very tolerant of anti-Catholicism.”
“They have blocked me three times. At first I thought it was because of
complaints from Protestant brothers and sisters because of what I posted
on my wall. Now I think that Facebook tolerates anti-Catholicism and is
targeting us,” he said.
Another user, Rodrigo Perez M. of Colombia, said Facebook allows “open anti-Catholicism that is out of control and unfettered.”
“I am about to close my account, it bothers me to see so much hatred and
venom towards the Catholic Church. There is no control and on the
contrary if you make a comment warning about Satanism, the first thing
Facebook does is temporarily block your account, as it did to me.”
While many Catholic users say anti-Catholicism faces little rebuke from
Facebook's Spanish-language administrators, positive Catholic pages have
not been as fortunate. One of the most popular Spanish-language pages,
“Memes Católicos,” was deleted from Facebook.
Yhonathan Luque Reyes of Peru created the page, which helped others
learn more about the Catholic faith and counter anti-Catholic attitudes
in a humorous, accessible way. His page had drawn over 110,000
followers.
In fall of 2012 Facebook notified him that various users had denounced
his page for allegedly promoting language that incited religious hatred.
The social network offered him the alternative of locating the page
under the category “polemical humor” to be maintained on the site.
In January 2013, several anti-Christian groups campaigned for Facebook
to ban the page as offensive. The page was removed in such a way that it
could not be restored.
The elimination of the page drew the attention of the Pontifical Council
for Communications, which noted the deletion on its Twitter account.
Though “Memes Católicos” has been deleted, the Spanish-language Facebook
page “Peneadicto XVI” continues to broadcast anti-Catholic and
anti-religion messages to over 44,000 followers.
The Facebook page, whose name has a lewd connotation in Spanish,
denigrates Jesus Christ, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, and the
Catholic Church. It depicts both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict as
pedophiles
The page also directs campaigns that promote hatred of religion and acts
of physical aggression against the Pope and other Catholic leaders.
Despite Facebook's prohibitions on pornography, for a time the Facebook
page's cover image was a montage that included a depiction of Pope
Benedict XVI in a sex act with a naked man at the main altar of St.
Peter’s Basilica.
A manager of the Facebook page, Carlos Alberto Becerra Mendoza of Peru,
is the subject of a lawsuit from Catholic News Agency’s Lima-based
partner ACI Prensa for allegedly hacking the news agency’s website in
January. The “Peneadicto XVI” page published images of hacked pages at
ACI Prensa website, even though the hacked pages were only visible for
about an hour.
Facebook's Latin American division declined to respond to specific
charges that the Facebook page violated the social network’s policy.
“The conversations that take place on Facebook as well as the opinions
that its users express, are a reflection of the diversity of people that
use Facebook,” Alberto Arebalos, Facebook’s head of communications for
Latin America, told ACI Prensa Aug. 5.
“In order to balance the interests and needs of a worldwide public,
Facebook protects expressions of opinion and content that meets the
norms described in our policies.”
“I can assure you that there is no anti-Catholic spirit at our company,”
he said, declining to respond to the specific incidents ACI Prensa
reported to him.
“Every complaint is studied and analyzed in accord with our policies, without any slant in one direction or the other.”
In May, Facebook announced that a review of its policies on removing
offensive content and hate speech, indicating that it has listened to
women's groups and Jewish, Muslim and LGBT groups for feedback.
The move appeared to have some effects, including the deletion of
anti-Christian pages like “Christians I’d Like to Throat Punch.”
However, this policy may not exclude obscene attacks on Jesus Christ and the Pope.
Alison Schumer, a member of Facebook’s communications and public policy
section, on June 10 told CNA that its anti-harassment standards “do not
cover public figures.”
She cited Facebook’s community standards, which say “We allow users to
speak freely on matters and people of public interest, but take action
on all reports of abusive behavior directed at private individuals.”
The standards also bar “hate speech,” meaning “direct and serious
attacks on any protected category of people,” including religious
categories. The company says that some “distasteful humor” does not
qualify as hate speech.
Asked if Facebook was working with any Catholic or Christian groups for
feedback about its policy, Schumer said that in early June Facebook’s
Washington, D.C. office held a meeting with “national faith-based
leaders” created under the guidance from the leaders of the U.S.
Catholic bishops.
Schumer said June 19 that the meeting was “private” but she said it was
“one example of many in which we meet with external groups regarding our
policies.” The U.S. bishops’ conference confirmed that the meeting took
place, but likewise described it as “private.”
Facebook has been in operation for nine years. While it has come to
dominate social media, it has shown signs of stagnating growth and
declining enthusiasm among some younger users.