Pope Francis reportedly makes homophobic slur, apologizes
May 29, 2024Pope Francis has apologised following reports that he used extremely derogatory language towards gay men.
A statement from the Vatican clarified that the Pope did not intend to offend anyone and apologised to those who were “hurt by the use of a word.”
At the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the Pope reportedly suggested that gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, remarking that there was already an atmosphere of “frociaggine,” a term that translates to a highly offensive slur.
While this meeting was held privately, it has been widely reported.
In a statement, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See—the Catholic Church’s governing body—said, “Pope Francis is aware of the articles that have come out recently concerning a conversation he had with bishops... behind closed doors.”
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The Pope’s reported comments first appeared on the Italian tabloid website Dagospia and were subsequently confirmed by other Italian news agencies, according to ‘BBC’.
The reported language has caused shock, particularly because Pope Francis has often publicly advocated for respectful treatment of gay people.
Mr. Bruni added, “As he [the Pope] has stated on more than one occasion, ‘In the Church there is room for everyone, everyone! Nobody is useless or superfluous, there is room for everyone, just the way we are.’”
“The Pope never meant to offend or to use homophobic language, and apologises to everyone who felt offended [or] hurt by the use of a word,” Mr Bruni concluded in the Vatican statement.
Progressive supporters of the Pope have long argued that although there has been little tangible change in terms of gay rights within Catholicism, he has significantly altered the Church’s tone on the matter.
When asked about gay people early in his papacy, he made headlines by replying, “Who am I to judge?”
He recently stirred controversy among Catholic traditionalists by saying priests should be able to bless same-sex couples in some situations and has frequently spoken of gay people being welcome in the Church.
Spanish-speaking defenders of the Pope highlight that he sometimes makes mistakes with Italian colloquialisms and suggest that he may not have fully grasped the level of offence the term could cause, even though he grew up in an Italian-speaking household in Argentina.
However, the head of the LGBT Catholic rights group DignityUSA, Marianne Duddy-Burke, described the reported comments as “shocking and hurtful,” particularly to gay priests who have served "God's people faithfully and well.”
“Unfortunately, even if intended as a joke, the Pope's comment reveals the depth of anti-gay bias and institutional discrimination that still exist in our Church,” she told Reuters news agency.
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