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Pope Francis has once again been accused of using a highly offensive term for gay people during a closed-door meeting with Roman priests, merely weeks after the Vatican issued an apology for his use of the same word.
Knewz.com has learned that the Pope reportedly used the word "frociaggine," a vulgar Italian term that roughly translates to "faggotness," during the meeting on Tuesday, June 11.
Italian media has reported that the Pope used the word in the context of considering not letting young homosexual men into the seminary as he believes there is "an air of f*****ness" in the Vatican.
Pope Francis made headlines in May 2024 for the use of the word in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops, following which the Vatican published a statement of apology.
"Pope Francis is aware of the articles recently published about a conversation, behind closed doors, with the bishops of the (Italian Episcopal Conference) CEI," the Vatican Press Office said at the time, per the Italian news outlet ANSA.
"As he has stated on several occasions 'there is room for everyone in the Church, for everyone! Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, there is room for everyone... The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others."
According to Reuters, the Corriere della Sera newspaper quoted several bishops in its report of the initial incident who said that being an Argentine, the Pope might not have realized that the Italian term he used was offensive.
When Reuters and NBC News asked the Vatican's Press Office about the latest mishap, they referred to the statement issued on June 11 regarding the meeting with Roman priests, in which "the pope reiterated the need to welcome gay people into the Church and the need for caution regarding them becoming seminarians."
It is worth noting that the Vatican ruled in 2005 that the church cannot ordain actively gay individuals or those with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies." In 2016, Pope Francis upheld the Vatican's ruling, according to CNN.
The Pope also directed Italian bishops in 2018 to not accept gay candidates for priesthood.
On the other hand, the news outlet ANSA pointed out that Pope Francis has made significant strides in softening the Catholic Church's line on homosexuality, saying "Who am I to judge?"
However, he has maintained the "Catholic dogma" of treating homosexuality as a sin, while permitting celibacy in gay people. The Vatican has also recently decided to authorize the blessing of gay couples, although clarifying that the gesture means to bless the individuals and not the union.
While he has made certain efforts to change the mentality of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality, CNN cited Vatican observers to write that his latest missteps might undermine his authority and raise questions regarding his "convictions and the reform path he has in mind for the Church."
However, apologies and clarifications did not seem to be enough, as Marianne Duddy-Burke, the head of LGBT Catholic rights group DignityUSA, called the Pope's initial statement "shocking and hurtful to many, especially to the innumerable 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," National Catholic Reporter quoted her as saying.
In a previous report, Reuters cited Italian theologian and former priest Vito Mancuso's statement to La Stampa where he called Pope Francis' language "despicable" and said that it "blatantly jars" with his previous messages regarding LGBTQIA+ issues.