Pope Francis apologized on Tuesday for using the derogatory Italian word “frociaggine,” which translates to “f*ggotry,” in reference to the alleged number of homosexual men in seminaries or priesthood colleges.
Speaking to Italian bishops on May 20th, the 87-year-old Francis (birth name Jorge Mario Bergolio) stated his disapproval of openly gay men joining seminaries multiple times and joked that there were “already too many frociaggine” in some of the schools, according to media reports.
The meeting was private and was likely leaked by a bishop. Spokesperson for the Vatican Matteo Bruni, speaking on behalf of Francis, acknowledged the fallout in the media over the comments, and stated that Francis was aware of it too. “The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others,” Bruni said. “As he (Pope Francis) has said on several occasions, ‘in the Church there is room for everyone, everyone! No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone.’”
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The story was first reported by the La Repubblica newspaper and was picked up by Corriere della Sera. According to their sources, the pope did not realize how “offensive” the word really was (the Argentine Bergolio’s native language is Spanish). When first contacted by Agence Free Presse and Reuters, the Vatican did not provide any comment.
The official doctrine of the Catholic Church, per the Catechism, is that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.” Francis has repeatedly tried to soften the Church’s handling of LGBT issues in his statements, insisting that the Church has “room for everyone” and has made it clear that he will bless the individuals in same-sex unions but will not endorse gay marriage as such. From the beginning of his papacy in 2013, Francis has made his tolerant stance clear by replying, “Who am I to judge?” when rumors circulated about a priest having had engaged in homosexual acts in the past.
Francis made his comments during a discussion of a new document on seminary training, which is currently under review by the Holy See. The document reportedly will introduce more lenient standards on the Vatican’s wholesale ban on gay clergy members. It will act as a revision or addendum to a 2005 document, reaffirmed in 2016, that bars men from joining the seminary who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture.”
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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