Pope Francis reportedly used a homophobic slur behind Vatican doors two weeks after apologizing, underlining his aversion to gay priests.
In a meeting with 200 Roman priests at Rome's Salesian Pontifical University on Tuesday (June 11), Pope Francis, 87, allegedly repeated the word “frociaggine,” which in Roman Italian means “f*ggotness.”
According to ANSA, Pope Francis added, “There is an air of f*ggotness in the Vatican,” indicating young homosexual men should avoid becoming priests. After Tuesday's meeting, the Vatican claimed Pope Francis had warned of the “danger of ideologies in the Church” but did not name the disparaging term.
The Vatican said, “[Pope Francis] reiterated the need to welcome and accompany gay men in the Church,” but advised caution about their priesthood admission.
Pope Francis apologized for using the homophobic slur before apparently repeating it this week. Two weeks ago, a senior Vatican source told The Washington Post that the pope used the same homophobic slur in another May 20 bishops meeting. Eight days after the meeting and rumors of the homophobic slur, the Vatican issued a rare apologies.
The Vatican claimed “the Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others.” It did not clarify whether Pope Francis used the homosexual slur.
Pope Francis has previously supported same-sex civil unions, LGBTQ+ outreach, and Catholic priests' brief blessings for same-sex couples before using homosexual slurs.
Francis famously said, “Who am I to judge,” when questioned about homosexual priests after becoming pope in 2013. Pope Francis has cautioned against accepting gay men into the priesthood, supporting a 2005 Vatican ruling that “homosexual candidates cannot become priests because their sexual orientation estranges them from the proper sense of paternity.”
In a meeting with 200 Roman priests at Rome's Salesian Pontifical University on Tuesday (June 11), Pope Francis, 87, allegedly repeated the word “frociaggine,” which in Roman Italian means “f*ggotness.”
According to ANSA, Pope Francis added, “There is an air of f*ggotness in the Vatican,” indicating young homosexual men should avoid becoming priests. After Tuesday's meeting, the Vatican claimed Pope Francis had warned of the “danger of ideologies in the Church” but did not name the disparaging term.
The Vatican said, “[Pope Francis] reiterated the need to welcome and accompany gay men in the Church,” but advised caution about their priesthood admission.
Pope Francis apologized for using the homophobic slur before apparently repeating it this week. Two weeks ago, a senior Vatican source told The Washington Post that the pope used the same homophobic slur in another May 20 bishops meeting. Eight days after the meeting and rumors of the homophobic slur, the Vatican issued a rare apologies.
The Vatican claimed “the Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others.” It did not clarify whether Pope Francis used the homosexual slur.
Pope Francis has previously supported same-sex civil unions, LGBTQ+ outreach, and Catholic priests' brief blessings for same-sex couples before using homosexual slurs.
Francis famously said, “Who am I to judge,” when questioned about homosexual priests after becoming pope in 2013. Pope Francis has cautioned against accepting gay men into the priesthood, supporting a 2005 Vatican ruling that “homosexual candidates cannot become priests because their sexual orientation estranges them from the proper sense of paternity.”
