Pope Francis apologises after outcry over homophobic slur
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Pope Francis said sorry following a strong public reaction to his use of an extremely offensive term aimed towards individuals who identify as homosexual in a private conversation with bishops.
On Tuesday, the Vatican released a statement addressing the media frenzy that ensued after Francis was reported to have made a homophobic remark in order to reiterate the Catholic Church's prohibition on homosexual clergymen.
The Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, stated that the pope did not mean to cause offense or use words that were derogatory towards the LGBTQ+ community. The pope offers his apologies to anyone who was hurt by the term that was reported by third parties.
The expression of regret came after a private gathering on May 20th, which took place at a conference for Italian bishops in Rome. During the meeting, a main point of discussion was the possibility of permitting homosexual men who remain unmarried to receive Catholic priesthood education at seminaries.
Reportedly, the pope who is 87 years old, expressed his disagreement with the notion. He communicated that although accepting all individuals is crucial, it could result in the queer person living in secrecy.
According to reports, he mentioned that some seminaries already have an excessive amount of offensive behavior that can be translated to the Italian slur for homosexuality, known as "frociaggine."
On Monday, an Italian news website called Dasgopia reported a comment that was discriminatory towards homosexual people. The comment has been shared on other news outlets such as La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, both reliable Italian newspapers. Additionally, Adnkronos, a news agency, quoted unnamed sources who were bishops at the meeting where the comment was made.
In free English, the blog section can be written as: According to Mr. Bruni, Francis was informed about the reports and he remembered that the Pope from Argentina, who is famous for engaging with LGBTQ+ Catholics during his papacy, has always believed that there is "space for all" in the Catholic Church.
During a gathering of the Italian bishops conference, Francis spoke about a new training document for Italian seminarians that was approved. This document, which is still being reviewed by the Holy See and has not been made public, apparently aimed to provide some flexibility to the Vatican's complete prohibition on homosexual priests.
Back in 2005, the Congregation for Catholic Education released a document announcing the Vatican ban. This document was reiterated in 2016, indicating that the church is not permitted to accept into seminaries or ordain individuals who engage in homosexuality or show strong tendencies towards it, or who support the gay community.
During a meeting with Italian bishops on May 20, Francis reiterated his stance and even made a joke about the presence of homosexuality in seminaries, which was reported by Italian media outlets and later by gossip site Dagospia.
The native language of Francis is not Italian, and the pope from Argentina had some mistakes when speaking in the past which caused some concern. The 87-year-old pope often uses informal language, makes jokes with slang, and may even use swear words when in a private setting.
He became well-known for reaching out to LGBTQ+ Catholics when he made the famous remark "Who am I to judge" in 2013 in reference to a priest who supposedly had a history with a gay partner.
