Pope Francis reportedly told group of priests that ‘gossip is a woman’s business’ | Pope Francis

Pope Francis reportedly told a group of young priests that “gossip is a woman’s thing” two days after apologizing for making homophobic slurs.

The remark was made Thursday during a closed-door meeting with a group of newly ordained priests in Rome, according to an article published on Il Silere Non Possum, a website dedicated to Vatican news, and then reported by several leading Italian newspapers and news agencies.

The pontiff, 87, would have advised priests against “denigrating” parishes and congregations, before asserting: “Gossip is a woman’s business.” He would have added: “We wear the pants, we have to say things. »

Marco Perfetti, director of Il Silere Non Possum, said the site had an audio recording of the discussion, which he said was recorded by more than one participant in the event and supported by sources. “We have the recording of the pope saying that,” he said.

The site claims to offer a “privileged look” at the Vatican and the Catholic Church. Much of its coverage is critical.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In public, the pope has spoken favorably of women and encouraged their progress, including appointing women to high positions in the Vatican. In April he said: “Let us pray that the dignity and worth of women will be recognized in all cultures and that the discrimination they face in various parts of the world will end. »

However, in the past, he has also made women wince with his words. Speaking to nuns in 2013, he said: “Be a mother and not an old maid! » In 2014, he called the appointment of several women to the Vatican’s international theological commission “strawberries on the cake.”

On Tuesday, Francis issued a rare apology after reports in the Italian press that he had used the Italian homophobic slur “frociaggine» during a discussion with bishops on the admission of homosexual men to seminaries. He said he never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms.