Yes, after some thought, it isn't as bad as it sounds initially.
It's hard to know what he meant at first though, you have to admit. And I always consider "What would the 50% of people think, who don't click on the article?" -- that is a very important consideration. Because it's a FACT that many people never go deeper than the headline. So if it leaves a vague impression, some impression *contradicted* by the article, etc. that doesn't matter -- because 1/2 or more people won't even read the article behind the headline.
AND -- at the very least, he's engaging in shock statements, kind of like clickbait. I've seen so much of this from the last couple Popes. It gets so tiresome.