The Vatican continues to remain silent over accusations that the Pope used a derogatory homophobic slur while claiming that gay men should not be allowed to enter universities to train for the priesthood.
Pope Francis, 87, was claimed to have said “there is too much shit air” in the church, translated from Italian, in comments made last week and first distributed by Italian tabloid news website Dasgopia on Monday.
Bishops present at the meeting were reportedly taken aback by the language used by the pontiff to make the statement: the derogatory word “frociaggine,” which roughly translates to f*****ry.
The Italian news agency Adnkronos, citing sources, reported that the Pope said in the speech: “Look: there is already an air of shit that is not good.” There is the current culture of homosexuality regarding those who have a homosexual orientation (who) would be better off if they were not accepted (in the seminary).’
The comment was met with “incredulous laughter,” the bishops told the newspaper. Corriere della Serabut it represents a big step back for activists after prolonged efforts reform the church’s position on LGBTQ+ rights.
Pope Francis pictured during a meeting with the Italian Episcopal Conference at the Vatican
The comments were reportedly made in a closed-door meeting before the conference. In the photo: Opening session of the 79th general assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference
Pope Francis attends a mass in St. Peter’s Square to mark the first World Children’s Day on May 26
Staying silent on the matter, the Pope has not posted on Twitter/X since Monday.
The Vatican Press Bulletin has also not been updated since yesterday, referring to a meeting with a delegation of Buddhist monks in Thailand in which the Pope called for the construction of a “more inclusive world.”
On Tuesday morning, Vatican News – created by order of Pope Francis in 2015 with the Secretariat for Communication – reported this morning that the Pope met today with artists and volunteers of World Children’s Day in Rome.
Italian media have quoted the Pope as saying: “Look, there is already an air of shit that is not good.”
‘Today there is a culture of homosexuality, whereby those with a homosexual orientation are better off if they are not welcome (in the seminary).
‘It is very difficult for a boy who has this tendency not to fall (into sin) because he comes (to the seminary) thinking that the life of the priest can sustain him, but then he falls during the work of the ministry.’
Some suggested the comments were an honest translation error on the part of the pope, for whom Italian is his second language, and that he “didn’t know” how offensive the word was.
But the accusations could mark a major step back for the church after years of changing its position on LGBTQ+ issues.
When asked about his opinion on homosexuality in 2013, he famously said, “If someone is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”
Last year, he described laws criminalizing homosexuality as a “sin” and an “injustice,” and allowed Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples in a significant step forward for LGBT rights in the church.
However, the Pope delivered a similar message about gay seminarians (minus the profanity) when he met with Italian bishops in 2018, telling them to carefully examine applicants for the priesthood and reject anyone suspected of being gay.
Political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, which reportedly occurred on May 20, when the Italian Episcopal Conference opened a four-day assembly with a non-public meeting with the pontiff.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francisco’s native language is Spanish and although he speaks Italian fluently, he has made several linguistic mistakes in the past.
He had previously said that if a child is unsure of their sexuality and facing mental health issues, they may need “psychiatric” support.
The general opinion is that he was referring to “psychological” help, words that he has also confused on other occasions.
Francesco Lepore, a former priest who is now a gay rights activist, said he was “surprised” by the comments allegedly made by Francis, who is also known by his birth name Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
“Despite being already accustomed to the kind of direct language from Bergoglio, talking about ‘shit’ in seminars seems more like a bar and a tavern than a Pontiff,” he told La Repubblica.
‘This expression would never have appeared on the lips of Paul VI, John Paul II or Benedict XVI, who also adopted condemnatory positions towards homosexuality.
And he added: ‘The Pope is right that the number of homosexual seminarians and clerics is very high. But simplicity of language has nothing to do with vulgarity.
Reports of the pontiff’s remarks at the meeting came after bishops approved a document regulating admission to Italian seminaries, according to Corriere.
The Pope was photographed today (right) at a World Children’s Day event in Rome.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francisco’s first language is Spanish and although he speaks Italian fluently, he has made several linguistic mistakes in the past.
The newspaper reported that members ‘approved by majority vote an amendment recognizing the distinction between simple homosexual orientation and ‘deeply ingrained tendencies.’
This, he suggests, means “in essence, that a homosexual person could be admitted to the seminary if, like the heterosexual, he gave the guarantee that he knows how to live the discipline of celibacy.”
However, it is said to imply “that it is more difficult for homosexuals because they will live in an all-male community for many years.”
Francis’ latest comments apparently suggest he is taking a “more radical” view on the issue, stopping gay men from being allowed to join forces altogether.
The Holy See has reportedly not approved the document and the issue is still under discussion.
The 2005 Vatican document, published under Pope Benedict XVI and endorsed by Francis in 2016, states that the Church “cannot admit into the seminary or sacred orders those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gays’ culture.”
So far there is no official record of the Pope’s latest comments on the subject and the Vatican has not commented.