What slur did the Pope use? The homophobic comment made by Pope Francis in a private meeting
Pope Francis has apologized for using a homophobic slur during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops last week. What exactly did he say?
Pope Francis has apologized for using a term derogatory to the LGBTQI community during a private meeting with more than 200 bishops. The pope said he did not intend to use homophobic language, nor did he mean to offend anyone.
“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others,” according to a statement by Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.
What homophobic slur did the Pope use?
Italian media had reported the pope indicated that he will not allow homosexuals to enter the seminaries because there was already a lot of “frocciagine” within. The Italian word roughly translates to mean “fa***try” or “fa***tness”.
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The media outlets reported that the pope made the comments on May 20 during the spring assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
Despite these reported statements, Bruni said the pope remained committed to a welcoming Church for all, where “there is room for everyone”.
Pope Francis’ previous openness to the LGBTQI community
The latest development is seen as running contrary to the overtures the pope has been making to the LGBTQI community. He was famously quoted as saying, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” when he began his term as pope. He also allowed priests to give blessings to same-sex unions last year.
However, the anti-gay sentiment reportedly expressed by the pope is consistent with the stand of the Catholic church regarding the presence of homosexuals in seminaries.
The Dicastery of the Clergy issued an instruction in 2005 (during the papacy of Benedict XVI), later confirmed in 2016 (already under the mandate of Pope Francis), that “it is necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’”