CLEVELAND -- An ad placed in newspapers across the country, including The Cleveland Plain Dealer, has many people wondering if it's entirely truthful.

The ad, which looked like a newspaper article except for the tiny "paid advertisement" print around the edge, offered free memorial prayer cards of Pope John Paul II.

5 On Your Side's consumer specialist Angie Lau investigated to see if this could be a case of fleecing the flock.

While the world mourned the passing of the pontiff, the half-page ad ran in the Plain Dealer.

At first, the Rev. Ralph Wiatrowski, chancellor of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese, thought the ad with the headline "Public To Get Free Memorial Prayer Cards" was a real newspaper article.

"Just looking at the claims, they don't say anything that's totally untrue -- but some of the claims are just outlandish," said Wiatrowski.

The ad claimed the "Vatican has authorized the release of the prayer cards to the general public."

"There's never been Vatican-approved this or that for basically devotion, prayer card or something like that," said Wiatrowski.

The ad also says its picture of the pope is a closely-guarded photograph -- but so guarded that it appears on the second page of a coffee-table book about the pope?

When NewsChannel5 called, operators tried to sell a rosary for $13.95 and special laminated cards for an extra fee.

When insisting upon the free card, NewsChannel5 was told to send a written request to a P.O. box in Canton.

The company that ran the ad is Canton-based Universal Media Syndicate.

NewsChannel5 went to the company to find out more, but was unable to get through the doors to see someone in charge.

Tom Little, a business professor at Notre Dame College says there is nothing illegal about the practice, but "when you hide behind the process, that tells you something's wrong and that's an indication that the ethics are questionable."

Universal Media Syndicate e-mailed a defense of their practice.

The company says the Vatican approved the use of the photo, but "the unique arrangements of the grant from the Vatican, l'osservatore romano, must be kept strictly confidential."

The company says those who have requested a free card have received a card or should be receiving it soon in the mail.

The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland says they've given out free cards, too. Written requests and a self-addressed envelope are not necessary.