VATICAN DENIES POPE FRANCIS BRAIN TUMOR REPORT

AP Photo/Andrew Medichini Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.

The Vatican vigorously denied a report in an Italian newspaper Wednesday that Pope Francis has a small, curable brain tumor, calling the rumors "totally unfounded."

The report in the Quotidiano Nazionale newspaper was "seriously irresponsible and not worthy of attention," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement. "As all can see, the pope continues to exercise his intense activity without interruption and in an absolutely normal way."

In the report citing unnamed sources published Wednesday, the Quotidiano Nazionale said the 78-year-old pontiff traveled to the San Rossore di Barbaricina clinic near Pisa in Tuscany to see a Japanese doctor named Takanori Fukushima "some time ago."

The doctor determined a small dark spot on the pope's brain could be treated without surgery. In later versions of the story, Quotidiano Nazionale reported that Fukushima and his staff had instead flown to Rome by Vatican helicopter.

Quotidiano Nazionale largely based the article on the account of a nurse at the clinic who reportedly saw medical notes under Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the pontiff’s real name, AFP reported.

Andrea Cangini, editor of Quotidiano Nazionale, said Lombardi's denial was expected but he was standing by the story. "This denial is understandable and to be expected. We waited a long time before publishing the report in order to carry out every possible check. We don't have the slightest doubt that it is founded," he said, according to AFP.

Hour later, Lombardi reiterated his denial of the report. “I fully confirm my previous statement, having verified the facts with the appropriate sources, including the Holy Father," he said in another statement. "No Japanese doctor has visited the pope in the Vatican and there have been no examinations of the type indicated in the article."

"I am able to confirm that the pope is in good health," he added. "I reiterate that the publication of this false information is a grave act of irresponsibility, absolutely inexcusable and unconscionable."

The report comes amid an intense and contentious debate over church teachings among the 270 bishops gathered for a global meeting, or synod, on the family. The synod, which ends this weekend, has featured unusually open arguments and no small amount of public sniping among churchmen, as well as revelations of a secret letter to the pope and accusations of behind-the-scenes “rigging” and “manipulation.”

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, suggested the report's release was deliberately timed to be released during the synod. "The timing of this reveals an intent to manipulate and create unnecessary uproar," it wrote.

Lori Radcliffe, practice administrator for Fukushima at the Carolina Neuroscience Institute in Raleigh, N.C., described the report as “absolutely false.”

She told Reuters that Fukushima saw the pope and shook his hand alongside thousands of people this year at a general audience at the Vatican but had never treated or evaluated him.

The pope is visiting the towns of Florence and Prato near Pisa next month, but Lombardi said the papal helicopter had not been anywhere near there when the newspaper said it had.

“Maybe it was a ghost,” Lombardi said.