Pope Francis implored his faithful followers on Wednesday to refrain from gossiping, as he believes it's a form of "terrorism" and "to gossip is to kill."

"Gossipers are terrorists because with their tongues they drop a bomb and then leave, and the bomb they drop destroys reputations everywhere," Francis said during his weekly general audience.

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The pope explored one of the Ten Commandments: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

The commandment "forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others."

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"We all live by communicating, and we are continuously on the edge between truth and lies," Francis said. He added that gossip "kills because the tongue kills like a knife."

Francis frequently rails against gossip in the church and has urged the media, in particular, to guard against "fake news" and to seek the truth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.