KUALA LUMPUR – Pope Francis, who has been seen as sympathetic to the LGBT community, was caught using a slur in Italian when he joked about gay men in the seminary behind closed doors.
It was leaked that the 87-year-old pontiff used the term “frociaggine” during a private meeting with Italian bishops last week.
Francis reportedly used the slur when expressing his opposition against trainee priests leading a “double life”, claiming to be celibate but secretly being gay.
The leak was first published by Italian daily La Repubblica, and quoted some of those present at the meeting that the pope did not realise how offensive the word was.
Although Francis is able to converse in Italian, his first language is Spanish.
His latest remark seemed to run contrary to his supposed tolerance for the LGBT community, seeing his previous comments on judgment and acceptance had ruffled the Catholic Church.
He famously said “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay Catholics soon after he started his papacy in 2013, adding that they should not be shunned.
Last December, he even approved a landmark ruling that Catholic priests can now administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular church rituals.
The blessing should not be timed with a civil marriage ceremony and be performed with none of the “clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”. – May 28, 2024