Pope Francis insulted homosexuals during discussion with bishops

Pope Francis used an offensive slur against gay men during a closed-door discussion with Italian bishops last week, two sources in the room told NBC News.

The pontiff’s use of the derogatory term was first reported Monday by Italian media, which said the comment was made during a closed-door meeting of bishops on May 20. The group was discussing the issue of admitting gay men to seminaries when Francis used a derogatory term. term that represents a vulgar way of referring to a gay person, the sources said.

Francis reiterated that gay men should not be allowed to undergo priestly training in seminaries, according to Italian media, which said that his use of the slur surprised some members of the public given the pope’s track record of taking a more welcoming approach to the LGBTQ+ community.

The political gossip site Dagospia appears to have been the first to report the alleged incident, citing several “shocked” bishops who attended the bishops’ conference.

The Vatican has not officially commented on the pope’s alleged remark and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

One of Italy’s biggest newspapers, Corriere della Sera, cited several anonymous bishops, suggesting that the pope may not have been aware of the offensive nature of the word in Italian.

Veteran Vatican journalist and author Gerry O’Connell also suggested the pope’s remark was “a gaffe on the part of the pope, rather than an insult”, as a non-Italian speaker.

The alleged comment surprised many, as Francis, 87, is known to have more liberal views than many of his predecessors when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as other issues such as the role of women in Catholic Church. and the environment.

Last December, he officially approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, because people seeking God’s love and mercy should not be subjected to “exhaustive moral analysis” to receive them.

In August, he also declared that the Catholic Church is open to all, including the gay community, and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of its rules.

Francis set the tone at the start of his pontificate in 2013 when he made an off-the-cuff remark to reporters that won over many critics who had called the Church narrow-minded. “If a person is gay, seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them? he said.

An instruction issued by the Vatican under Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, ruled in 2005 that those who “practice homosexuality, exhibit deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support so-called gay culture” cannot be admitted in the seminary or in sacred orders.