The Vatican said on Tuesday that Pope Francis “extends his apologies” after reports that he had used an offensive slang word referring to gay men at what was intended to be a private meeting with 250 Italian bishops last week.
Francis had been taking questions from Italian bishops meeting for their annual assembly on a number of issues when the question of whether or not to admit openly gay men into seminaries, or priesthood colleges, came up.
According to several people present at the meeting, who spoke anonymously to Italian media, Francis stated a firm no, saying that seminaries were already too full of “frociaggine, a vulgar Italian term roughly translating as “faggotness” that refers to gay men.
“Pope Francis is aware of articles that recently came out about a conversation, behind closed doors,” said Matteo Bruni, the press office director for the Holy See, in response to questions from reporters. “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, reported by others.”
Francis has been widely credited with urging the church to take a more welcoming approach to the L.G.B.T.Q. community, and he has delivered a mostly inclusive message.
At the start of his papacy, he said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” He also met often with gay-rights activists, and made a decision last year allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.
The opening to the L.G.B.T.Q. community has been met with a backlash. The decision to bless same-sex unions, for example, was widely criticized by bishops in conservative areas of the church, such as Africa, as they believe the practice contradicts church doctrine.
The Vatican quickly explained that blessings are not formal rites, and do not undercut church teaching against same-sex marriage. At the same time, the church has remained firm in its decision not to allow openly gay men to become priests.
A document issued in 2005 under Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’s predecessor, excluded from the priesthood extreme gay men with few exceptions, banning in strong and specific language candidates “who are actively homosexual, have deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’”
The document allowed ordination only for candidates who experienced “transitory” homosexual tendencies that were “clearly overcome” at least three years before ordination as a deacon, the last step before priesthood.
In a 2018 book-interview about vocations, Francis underscored that he was concerned about relationships between homosexual candidates for priests and other religious figures who take vows of celibacy and chastity, and then end up living a double life.
“In consecrated life or that of the priesthood, there is no place for this type of affection,” the pope said in the book “For that reason, the church recommends that persons with this deep-seated tendency not be accepted for ministry or consecrated life.”
Francis had already made his concerns known to Italian bishops. In another closed-door session in 2018, reported by Italian media, Francis said men with “deep-rooted” homosexual tendencies should not be allowed to enter into seminaries.
If in doubt, do not let them enter.”
Pope Francis.
“If in doubt, do not let them enter,” the pope told the bishops.
That comment had prompted reaction at the time, with some observers warning that Francis characterization of L.G.B.T.Q. people could “foster the toxic homophobic attitudes that are already so prevalent in seminaries and religious communities, as well as in the wider church.”