Rome: Italian newspapers stirred controversy on Monday with reports alleging that Pope Francis used a derogatory term in reference to the LGBT community during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops. The pontiff reportedly reiterated his stance that gay individuals should not be permitted to enter the priesthood.
According to La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, two prominent Italian dailies, Pope Francis referred to seminaries as being excessively filled with “frociaggine”, a vulgar Italian term akin to “faggotry”.
The Vatican declined to comment on the matter, leaving the reports unanswered. La Repubblica’s story cited multiple undisclosed sources, while Corriere della Sera mentioned a few unnamed bishops who suggested that the pope, being Argentine, might have been unaware of the offensiveness of the term in Italian.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred on May 20 during a private meeting between the Italian Bishops Conference and the pontiff at the commencement of a four-day assembly, as reported by the political gossip website Dagospia.
Despite Pope Francis being lauded for his efforts to foster a more inclusive approach toward the LGBT community within the Roman Catholic Church, this reported incident has raised concerns and sparked debate. Since the beginning of his papacy in 2013, he has been noted for his famous statement, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Additionally, last year, he permitted priests to bless same-sex couples, drawing both praise and criticism from various quarters, particularly conservative factions.
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However, the pontiff’s reported remarks to Italian bishops in 2018 mirrored his recent sentiments, albeit without the use of the derogatory term. During that meeting, he urged careful vetting of priesthood applicants, advising rejection of any suspected homosexuals.
The Vatican’s stance on homosexuality within the priesthood dates back to a 2005 document issued under Pope Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI. The document outlined criteria for admitting individuals into the priesthood, stating that those who had clearly overcome homosexual tendencies for a minimum of three years could be considered. It explicitly prohibited practicing homosexuals, individuals with “deep-seated” gay tendencies, and those who supported what it termed as the “gay culture”.
