Pope Francis has called nuns “vinegar-faced” and told them to avoid gossip in a bizarre tirade.
The Pope, 88, urged a group of Dominican nuns from the Union of the Missionaries of Saint Catherine of Siena to “distance themselves” from the stories.
‘Gossip kills, gossip poisons. Please, no gossip between you, none. And to ask this of a woman is heroic, but come on, let’s move on and not gossip,” he said in one of his spontaneous speeches that are quickly becoming an integral part of his papacy.
‘That’s not something that helps attract people. Vinegar is disgusting and nuns have vinegar faces, let’s not even talk about that,’ he added.
Pope Francis, who became leader of the Catholic Church in 2013, also urged nuns not to talk to the devil.
‘The Lord has shown us that he spoke to everyone, except… there was one person the Lord never spoke to: the Devil.
‘Please talk to everyone except the devil. The Devil enters the community, he sees jealousy, all those things that belong to all humans, not just women, everyone, there goes the Devil. There is no dialogue with the devil, understand? We don’t talk to the devil.
He has long generated controversy: earlier this year, he was reported to have used derogatory anti-gay language when talking about men training to be priests in seminaries.
Pope Francis speaks with nuns during the weekly general audience on June 22, 2022 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
The pontiff, photographed in January 2023, has told the nuns to “avoid gossip”
The Vatican was forced to apologize for its use of the Italian term “frociaggine,” which translates as an offensive slur against homosexuals, in a closed-door meeting.
The choice of word surprised many, as he has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ people becoming more involved in the life of the church.
A priest, who did not want to be identified, he told the Times: ‘Pope Francis speaks like this, he is rude. It can be embarrassing and may become more pronounced with age.
“The first time I think it was the Vatican press office that issued the apology and not him.”
Roberta Vinerba, a Franciscan nun and theologian, said that the Pope The tone was “dry, direct and colloquial,” but it had the virtue of clarity, Vinerba said.
“It is an invitation to everyone: to show a serene face, a smiling face, which does not necessarily mean that things are going well, but rather expresses a hope, a certainty, the hope of being credible witnesses of the salvation that has arrived. . for us,” he said.