Pope Francis has reportedly used highly derogatory language in an incident that may significantly affect perceptions of his stance on gay people. During a session at the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the Pope was asked whether gay men should be allowed to train for the priesthood if they remained celibate. He responded that they should not.
Reportedly, Pope Francis went on to use the Italian term “frociaggine,” a highly offensive slur, to describe the existing atmosphere in the Church. Although the meeting was private, these comments were first reported by the Italian tabloid website Dagospia and have since been corroborated by other Italian news agencies citing multiple sources.
The Pope’s reported language has caused widespread shock, particularly because he has publicly advocated for respect towards gay people. While progressive supporters argue that Pope Francis has shifted the Church’s tone on gay rights, traditionalists have been concerned by some of his recent statements. Early in his papacy, he made headlines by saying, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay people. Recently, he has suggested that priests should be able to bless same-sex couples under certain circumstances and has frequently emphasized that gay people are welcome in the Church.
There had been speculation that Pope Francis was preparing to allow gay men to train for the priesthood, provided they remained celibate like other priests. However, at the Italian Bishops’ Conference, he firmly rejected this idea. Reports from some news agencies indicate that he used derogatory language more than once during his remarks.
Defenders of the Spanish-speaking Pope argue that he sometimes makes mistakes with Italian colloquialisms and may not have fully understood the offense his words could cause, despite his upbringing in an Italian-speaking household in Argentina.
Nonetheless, other reports claim that the Pope went further, suggesting that gay individuals should be expelled from seminaries regardless of whether they act on their sexual tendencies.
The Vatican has yet to comment on these reports.
