Pope Francis has issued an apology following reports that he used a derogatory term for homosexuals during a private meeting with Italian bishops last week. The Vatican released a statement clarifying that the Pope did not intend to offend anyone and expressed regret to those who felt hurt by his words.
“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and he extends his apologies to those who felt offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” the statement read.
The incident reportedly occurred during a meeting with over 250 bishops, where the 87-year-old pontiff expressed his opposition to openly homosexual men entering seminaries, even if they are committed to celibacy. Italian newspapers reported that Francis used the term “frociaggine,” a Roman slur roughly translating to “faggotry,” to describe the presence of openly gay men in priest training colleges.
The reports sparked widespread reactions from LGBTQ groups and Catholics alike, with some commentators suggesting that the Argentine pope may not have fully understood the connotations of the term.
While the Vatican’s statement did not confirm the exact words used, it did reference the media coverage and reiterated the Pope’s inclusive stance: “As he had the opportunity to state on several occasions: ‘In the Church, there is room for everyone, everyone! Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, and there is space for everyone. Just as we are, all of us.’”
