Pope Francis recently sparked controversy after allegedly using a vulgar slur for gay men during a closed-door meeting at the Vatican. The pontiff was addressing the issue of non-admission of homosexual men into church seminaries, citing concerns over “too much” gay sexual activity.
Bishops taken aback
During the meeting at an episcopal conference, the 87-year-old pontiff reportedly used the derogatory Italian word “frociaggine,” which roughly translates to “faggotry” in English. This language left the assembled bishops shocked, with incredulous laughter breaking out in the room, according to Italian media reports.
What Pope Francis said
Italian news agency Adnkronos reported that Pope Francis remarked, “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].”
A possible misunderstanding
Some believe the Pope’s use of the offensive term was an honest mistake, as Italian is his second language. They argue he may not have fully understood the word’s offensive nature.
The comments are surprising given Pope Francis’ generally liberal stance on LGBT rights compared to his predecessors. Last year, he called laws criminalizing homosexuality a “sin” and an “injustice,” and he permitted Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.
In 2018, Pope Francis made similar comments about vetting seminary applicants, though without the reported offensive language. He urged Italian bishops to exclude those suspected of being homosexual from priesthood training.
Former priest and gay rights activist Francesco Lepore expressed his shock at the Pope’s alleged remarks. Speaking to la Repubblica, Lepore said, “Despite being accustomed by now to Bergoglio’s direct language, speaking of ‘f***ry’ in the seminaries seems more like a bar and a tavern than a Pontiff.”
Lepore added, “The Pope is right that the number of homosexual seminarians and clerics is very high. But the simplicity of language has nothing to do with vulgarity.”
