Pope Francis has issued an apology after reports emerged that he used a vulgar term while referring to gay men during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops on May 20. The pontiff’s comments, delivered in Italian, allegedly included the term “faggotness” while reaffirming the Catholic Church’s ban on ordaining gay men as priests.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni acknowledged the media storm surrounding the pope’s remarks and emphasized that Francis, known for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, has consistently maintained that there is “room for everyone” within the church. Bruni stated, “The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others.”
The controversial comments were made during an assembly of the Italian bishops conference, which had recently approved a new document outlining training for Italian seminarians. While the document has not been published pending review by the Holy See, it reportedly sought to introduce some flexibility in the Vatican’s strict ban on gay priests.
The Vatican’s position on gay priests was clearly articulated in documents issued by the Congregation for Catholic Education in 2005 and 2016, which stated that the church cannot admit to seminaries or ordain men who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture.”
According to Italian media reports, Pope Francis strongly reaffirmed this stance during his meeting with the Italian bishops, jokingly remarking that “there is already an air of faggotness” in seminaries. The reports initially surfaced on the gossip site Dagospia before being picked up by mainstream media outlets.
It is worth noting that Italian is not the pope’s native language, and the 87-year-old Argentine has previously made linguistic gaffes that have raised eyebrows. He is known for his informal speaking style, use of slang, and even occasional cursing in private.
Despite this incident, Pope Francis has been widely recognized for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, famously commenting, “Who am I to judge,” in 2013 when asked about a priest who allegedly had a gay lover in his past.
The pope’s apology comes as an acknowledgment of the potential offense caused by his reported remarks, even as he maintains the church’s official stance on the ordination of gay men as priests.
