Pope Francis issued an apology on Tuesday after reports quoted him using a vulgar term about homosexuals while reiterating the Catholic Church’s stance on gay priests.
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni released a statement addressing the controversy surrounding Francis’ comments, which were made in a private meeting with Italian bishops on May 20.
According to Italian media, unnamed bishops claimed that Francis used the term “f*****ness” in a joking manner while speaking in Italian during the meeting. He used the term to emphasize the Vatican’s prohibition on allowing gay individuals to join seminaries and become priests.
Bruni clarified that Francis was informed of the reports and emphasized that the pope, known for his inclusive approach towards LGBTQ+ Catholics, has always stressed that there is “room for everyone” in the Catholic Church.
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“The pope did not intend to offend or use homophobic language, and he apologizes to those who were offended by the reported term,” Bruni stated.
During his address to the Italian bishops conference, Francis discussed a new document on training for Italian seminarians. The document, not yet published pending review by the Holy See, reportedly aimed to offer some flexibility in the Vatican’s ban on gay priests.
The Vatican’s ban on gay priests was first outlined in a 2005 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education and reinforced in a subsequent document in 2016, prohibiting the admission or ordination of men with homosexual tendencies or affiliations with the “gay culture.”
In the meeting with Italian bishops on May 20, Francis humorously remarked on the presence of a gay atmosphere in seminaries, as reported by Italian media outlets following initial coverage from gossip site Dagospia.
Although Italian is not his native language, Francis, known for his informal and slang use of language, has previously made linguistic missteps. Despite this, the pope has been recognized for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, notably with his “Who am I to judge” comment in 2013 regarding a priest with a homosexual history.
