Italian media attributed to the pope the use of the word “frociaggine,” a vulgar Italian term roughly translating as “faggotness,” during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops on May 20.
ANSA reported that Pope Francis repeated the term on Tuesday during a meeting with Roman priests, stating that “there is an air of faggotness in the Vatican,” and suggesting that young men with homosexual tendencies should not be allowed to enter the seminary.
In response to the latest report, the Vatican’s press office referred to a statement issued regarding Tuesday’s meeting, in which the pope reiterated the importance of welcoming gay people into the Church while urging caution regarding their admission to seminaries.
Following the initial report of his use of the offensive word, Corriere della Sera newspaper quoted unnamed bishops present in the room, suggesting that the pope, being Argentine, might not have realized the offensiveness of the Italian term used.
Despite previously being credited with making substantial overtures towards the LGBT community during his 11-year papacy, Francis’ recent missteps have raised concerns among observers of the Vatican about his authority, convictions, and the reform path envisioned for the Church.