Baby Born in the Philippines Has Stigmata Sores – Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A baby was born in the Philippines with stigmata-like sores that are similar to injuries suffered by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion.
The Truth:
A fake news website came up with this hoax just in time for Easter.
The website World News Daily Report published a story that claimed a baby named Jejomar Castillo was born in the Philippines with injuries to his face, hands and feet that were “almost identical” to wounds suffered by Jesus:
“Rumors of a ‘miraculous child’ rapidly spread across the hospital, then across the city, and a large crowd rapidly gathered outside the boy’s room and even around the hospital. Within a matter of hours, thousands of people surrounded the building in silent prayer.
“The crowd has now been there for two days, praying and chanting religious slogans like ‘Welcome to the Saviour’ and ‘Thank you God for sending Jejomar.’ Many of the people on the site seem to associate the birth of this enigmatic child with the biblical Return of Jesus Christ.”
The story was shared more than 100,000 times on social media.
World News Daily Report is known for publishing fake news stories. Its disclaimer says that the website assumes “all responsibility for the satirical nature of its articles and for the fictional nature of their content.”
Besides that, a picture of a baby with red, “stigmata-like” markings was actually taken at a hospital in the Philippines in 2011. The baby’s name is Danica Camachois, and she became famous for being the 7 billionth baby born in the world, the Guardian reports.