Pope Francis allegedly used an offensive slur while telling bishops why gay men should not be allowed to become priests. Two Italian newspapers, the Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, reported that the Pope’s comments came during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops on May 20. Citing sources from inside the meeting, the papers reported that bishops were shocked when the Pope said that seminaries are already full of “frociaggine,” a vulgar word that roughly translates in English to “f****try.” His remark was reportedly met with “incredulous laughter” by the bishops, who suggested to Corriere della Sera that the Pope might not have been aware that the term was offensive, considering he speaks Italian as a second language. Indeed, the pontiff has long offered a more liberal and welcoming approach to LGBT Catholics—last December, he approved a ruling allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, despite some caveats, and back in 2013, when asked about his views on homosexuality, he famously responded, “Who am I to judge?” When it comes to priesthood, however, that may be where he draws the line.
