'F----tness': Pope APOLOGIZES After He's Caught Using Vulgar Italian Word to Refer to LGBT People
Libero Milone, a Netherlands-born Italian businessman who was appointed by Pope Francis to be the first auditor-general of the Vatican in 2015 before being forced to resign in 2017, has vowed to uncover the truth around the demise of Cardinal George Pell.
May 28 2024, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Pope Francis has apologized after allegedly using a homophobic slur while defending the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests during a private discussion with Italian bishops last week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Reuters reports that Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera both quoted the pope as jokingly saying that seminaries are already too full of "frociaggine," a vulgar and derogatory Italian term that roughly translates to "f----tness" or "f----try."
The pope reportedly joked that seminaries are already too full of "frociaggine," a vulgar and derogatory Italian term that roughly translates to "f----tness."
The Vatican issued an apology on the pope's behalf on Tuesday, a day after the incident was reported. "Pope Francis is aware of the articles recently published about a conversation, behind closed doors, with the bishops of the CEI," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement per Sky News.
"As he stated on several occasions, 'In the Church there is room for everyone, for everyone! Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, all of us,'" the statement continued. "The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others."
Since ascending to the papacy in 2013, the 87-year-old pontiff has been credited with leading the church toward a more accepting and inclusive approach toward the LGBT community.
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Pope Francis' native language is Spanish, not Italian, and according to Corriere, "it was evident that the Pope was not aware of how offensive the word is in Italian."
Since ascending to the papacy in 2013, the 87-year-old pontiff has been credited with leading the church toward a more accepting and inclusive approach toward the LGBT community. "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?" he famously said in 2013. Last year, he allowed priests to bless same-sex couples.
Despite that, Pope Francis has continued to uphold the Vatican's official policy banning gay applicants from the priesthood.
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Despite that, Pope Francis has continued to uphold the Vatican's official policy, approved under his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, that "the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'"
In 2018, Francis reportedly warned Italian bishops in another closed-door meeting that applicants to the priesthood should be vetted carefully and anyone suspected of being gay should be rejected. "If in doubt, better not let them enter," he was quoted as saying at the time.
His most recent remarks came after bishops proposed amendments to the established guidelines for seminary candidates.
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