Pope Francis has issued an apology following reports that he used extremely derogatory language towards gay men.
A statement from the Vatican emphasized that the Pope did not intend to offend anyone and apologized to those who were “hurt by the use of a word.”
During a private meeting at the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Pope Francis reportedly remarked that gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, using the term “frociaggine,” which translates as a highly offensive slur.
The meeting was private, but the comments have been widely reported.
“Pope Francis is aware of the articles that have come out recently concerning a conversation he had with bishops behind closed doors,” said Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See – the Catholic Church’s governing body, in the statement.
The Pope’s reported comments were first conveyed to the Italian tabloid website Dagospia and were subsequently confirmed by other Italian news agencies.
The language has caused shock, particularly given Pope Francis’s public stance on respect towards gay people.
Mr. Bruni reiterated: “As he [the Pope] has stated on more than one occasion, ‘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 meant to offend or use homophobic language, and apologizes to everyone who felt offended or hurt by the use of a word,” Mr. Bruni concluded.
Progressive supporters of the Pope argue that while little has changed in terms of gay rights within Catholicism, he has altered the Church’s tone on the matter.
Early in his papacy, when asked about gay people, Pope Francis famously responded, “Who am I to judge?”
Recently, he created consternation among Catholic traditionalists by suggesting that priests should be able to bless same-sex couples in some circumstances and has frequently stated that gay people are welcome in the Church.
Spanish-speaking defenders of the Pope note that he sometimes makes mistakes in Italian colloquialisms, and suggest that he might not have appreciated the level of offense caused, despite growing up in an Italian-speaking household in Argentina.
Marianne Duddy-Burke, head of the LGBT Catholic rights group DignityUSA, 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.