Pope Apologises for Homophobic Slur
Pope Francis has issued an apology following reports that he used highly offensive language towards gay men.
A Vatican statement clarified that the Pope did not intend to offend anyone and apologized to those "hurt by the use of a word." During the Italian Bishops' Conference, the Pope allegedly remarked that gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, noting an atmosphere of frociaggine, an offensive slur.
Though the meeting was private, the comments were widely reported. "Pope Francis is aware of the recent articles about a conversation he had with bishops behind closed doors," said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See, as quoted in the statement.
The Pope’s comments were first reported by the Italian tabloid website Dagospia and were subsequently confirmed by other Italian news outlets.
There has been widespread shock at the Pope's reported language, especially given his previous public statements advocating respect for gay people.
Mr. Bruni stated, “As the Pope has often said, ‘In the Church there is room for everyone, everyone! Nobody is useless or superfluous; there is room for everyone, just the way we are.’”
“The Pope never intended to offend or use homophobic language, and apologizes to anyone who felt hurt or offended by the use of a word,” Mr. Bruni concluded in the Vatican statement.
Progressive supporters of the Pope argue that while there have been few tangible changes regarding gay rights within Catholicism, he has altered the Church’s tone. Early in his papacy, he made headlines by responding, “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay people.
He recently caused concern among Catholic traditionalists by suggesting that priests might bless same-sex couples in certain circumstances and has often spoken of welcoming gay people into the Church.
Spanish-speaking defenders note that the Pope sometimes errs in Italian colloquialisms, suggesting he may not have fully understood the offense his words could cause, despite growing up in an Italian-speaking household in Argentina.
But the head of the LGBT Catholic rights group DignityUSA, Marianne Duddy-Burke, called the reported comments "shocking and hurtful", especially to gay priests who have served "God's people faithfully and well".
"Unfortunately, even if intended as a joke, the Pope's comment reveals the depth of anti-gay bias and institutional discrimination that still exist in our church," she told Reuters news agency.
