Pope Francis allegedly used a homophobic word again weeks after apologising for stating gay men should not be admitted to church seminaries because ‘there’s already too much f*ry’ in a closed-door meeting.
On May 20, he used the vulgar Italian phrase ‘frociaggine’, which loosely translates as ‘f*ness’, at a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, Pope Francis, 87, used the slur again on Tuesday, June 11, when he met with Roman priests, stating ‘there is an air of f*ness in the Vatican’.
He went on to say that young men with gay tendencies should not be permitted to enter the seminary, which is a college that teaches students to become priests.
When asked about the latest story, the Vatican’s press office referred to a statement published following Tuesday’s meeting with the priests, in which the pope emphasised the need to welcome LGBT individuals into the Church but also cautioned them from becoming seminarians.
Following the initial report of him using the slur, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted unnamed bishops in the room as saying that the pope, as an Argentine, may not have recognised the Italian term he used was derogatory.
During his 11-year papacy, the Pope was hailed for making significant progress towards becoming more inclusive to the LGBT+ community.
In May, Italian news agency Adnkronos, citing sources, reported that the Pope said in his speech: “Look, there is already an air of f*ry around that is not good. There is today’s culture of homosexuality with respect to those who have a homosexual orientation [who] are better off not being accepted [into the seminary].”
The comment elicited ‘incredulous laughter’ among bishops, according to newspaper Corriere della Sera, but it signals a significant setback for activists who have worked for years to improve the church’s position on LGBTQ+ rights.
The Pope apologised the following week, with the Vatican releasing a statement that said: “The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologises to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli