FACT CHECK: Does This Picture Show An Advertisement For An ‘Elite Global Leaders’ Conference Being Held In Rome?
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect that a private, non-Vatican-hosted event is occurring later this month. The verdict has been changed to “True.” We regret the error.
An image shared on Instagram claims a conference titled the “Elite Global Leaders Conference” will be held at the Vatican on Oct. 23 and will focus on “humanity-empowering technology.”
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Verdict: True
A private event matching the flyer’s description is being held at the Teutonic College in Vatican City later this month, according to a Vatican spokesperson. However, the event is not organized by the Vatican.
Fact Check
The image appears to show a poster advertising an upcoming conference being held at the Vatican titled “Elite Global Leaders Conference.” The poster states the purported event is invitation only and will focus on “technology that empowers humanity,” the keynote presentation allegedly being “The Code – Programming Our Future For Good.” Circled in red are the names of the supposed conference’s two keynote speakers, David Fergusson and Carlos Moreira, authors of “The transHuman Code: How To Program Your Future.”
“If you don’t know what transhumanism is, I suggest you start researching it today. #DoNotComply,” reads the post’s caption. (RELATED: Was $34 Quintillion In Gold Seized From The Vatican?)
Transhumanism refers to the movement to develop human enhancement technologies that integrate into the human body, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The book mentioned, “The transHuman Code,” discusses how humans can maintain their humanity despite ever-evolving technology, according to the book’s summary on Amazon.
The event appears to be real, part of a multi-day conference being held in Rome by a group called “JABOY Productions.” Information about the conference can be found on the organization’s website. A spokesperson for JABOY Productions confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that the event advertised in the image shared on Instagram is happening, noting it is a private event.
The Vatican likewise confirmed such an event is occurring.
“We have checked, it is a real event, but it is not organized by the Vatican,” said a Vatican spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. “It will be at the Teutonic College, where David Fergusson, Carlos Moreira and fr. Philip Larrey two years ago presented their books. This event is a follow up.”
In 2019, Moreira and Fergusson led a forum titled, “Technology and Human Flourishing” at the Collegio Teutonico in Vatican City, according to press releases from Accesswire and GlobeNewswire. Father Phillip Larrey, author of “Artificial Humanity,” also participated in the event, according to the press releases. The forum included discussions about humanity and technology and how best to balance the two, Accesswire reported.
