The Pope has again used a homophobic term after apologizing last month for saying gay men should not be admitted to church seminaries because “there is already too much fuss” in closed-door meetings.
He used the word “frociaggine,” a vulgar Italian term roughly translated as “f*****ness,” on May 20 during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, 87-year-old Pope Francis repeated the term on Tuesday when he met Roman priests, saying: “There is an atmosphere of f*****ness in the Vatican.”
He added that it was better that young men with homosexual inclinations should not be admitted to the seminary – a college that trains students to become priests.
Asked about the latest report, the Vatican press office referred to a statement it issued on Tuesday’s meeting with the priests, in which the Pope reiterated the need to welcome homosexuals into the Church and the need for caution when it comes to become seminarians.
Pope Francis used the word “frociaggine,” a vulgar Italian term that roughly translates as “f*****ness,” during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops on May 20.
Pope Francis attends a mass in St. Peter’s Square on May 26 to mark the first World Children’s Day
After the first report of him using the word, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted unnamed bishops present in the room as suggesting that the Pope, as an Argentinian, may not have realized that the Italian term he used was offensive .
The Pope is said to have taken substantial steps to become more welcoming to the LGBT+ community during his 11-year papacy.
Some Vatican observers say his recent missteps undermine his authority and raise questions about his beliefs and the path of reform he has in mind for the Church.
In May, the Italian news agency Adnkronos reported, citing sources, that the Pope said in his speech: “Look, there is already an atmosphere of nonsense that is not good. There is a culture of homosexuality today regarding those who have a homosexual orientation [who] are better off if they are not accepted [into the seminary].’
The comment was met with “incredible laughter”, bishops told the Corriere della Sera newspaper, but represents a huge step back for campaigners after long efforts to reform the church’s position on LGBTQ+ rights.
The Pope apologized the following week, with the Vatican releasing a statement saying: “The Pope never intended to offend himself or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by using a term reported by others.”