Pope Francis Apologizes for Insulting Comments Against Gay Men
Pope Francis apologizes after reports he used language that was highly offensive to gay men(AFP)
POPE Francis apologised after reports he used highly offensive language towards gay men.
A statement from the Vatican said the Pope did not mean to offend anyone and apologized to those "hurt by his use of the word". At the Italian Conference of Bishops, the Pope reportedly said gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, adding that there was already an atmosphere of frociaggine, which translates as a highly offensive insult.
This meeting was private, but has been widely reported.
“Pope Francis is aware of articles that have recently emerged regarding conversations he had with bishops... behind closed doors,” quoted a statement from the director of the Holy See - the governing body of the Catholic Church - Matteo Bruni.
The Pope's reported comments were first made to Italian tabloid site Dagospia, and were soon confirmed by other Italian news agencies. There was surprise over the reported language, especially since Pope Francis has often spoken publicly about respecting gay people.
Bruni said: “As he [the Pope] has stated more than once, ‘In the Church there is a place for everyone, everyone! There is nothing superfluous or superfluous, there is a place for everyone, just as they are.’”
“The Pope never intended to offend or use homophobic language, and apologized to everyone who felt offended [or] hurt by his use of the word,” Bruni concluded in the Vatican statement.
Progressive supporters of the Pope have long argued that while little has changed in real terms when it comes to gay rights within Catholicism, he has changed the tone of the Church's stance. When asked about gay people early in his pontificate, he made headlines by responding, "Who am I to judge?"
He recently created a stir among Catholic traditionalists by saying priests should be able to bless same-sex couples in some circumstances and frequently speaking out about gay people being accepted in the Church.
The Pope's Spanish-speaking defenders point out that he sometimes makes mistakes in colloquial Italian, and suggest that he is unaware of the level of insult he may be causing, even though he grew up in an Italian-speaking household in Argentina. (BBC/Z-3)