Pope Francis used the derogatory and slanderous term during a debate with bishops over the admission of gays to seminaries, several Italian newspapers have reported.
The 87-year-old pope was said to have made the remarks during a private meeting of bishops in Rome last week where they were reportedly discussing whether openly gay men should be allowed into Catholic seminaries where priests are trained – a topic that the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CIE) is said to have long been considering.
During the debate, when one of the bishops asked Francis what he should do, the pope reportedly reiterated his opposition to the inclusion of gays, saying it was important to include everyone, but that gays could risk living a double life. He reportedly added that some seminaries already have too many “frociaggine” (roughly translated as “homo” in Italian).
The news was first reported by political gossip website Dagospia and was later carried by Italian dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, as well as the Adchronos news agency.
La Repubblica, Corriere and Adchronos cited anonymous bishops as saying the pope had made the insulting remarks as a “joke” and that those around him were surprised and confused by the libel. One bishop told Corriere della Sera that the pope may not have known the words were offensive.
La Repubblica and Corriere reported that a meeting of bishops in November decided that gay men should be able to enter seminaries as long as they did not engage in sexual activity, but the move was ultimately blocked by the Pope.
Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has sought to adopt a more inclusive tone towards the LGBTQ+ community in his public statements, despite the scorn of conservative cardinals.
Shortly after becoming pope, in response to a question about gay priests, he famously said, “Am I in any position to judge?”
The pope approved a ruling in December allowing priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples, a major shift in position for the Catholic Church.
But he has made it clear that he would not allow gays to become priests. In a 2018 interview, he said he was “concerned” about the “serious issue” of homosexuality, which he described as an “epidemic” that priests are susceptible to.
“Homosexuality even seems to be epidemic in our society and this mentality somehow influences the life of the church,” he said at the time.
The Roman Catholic Church’s position is that homosexual acts are sinful, and a 2016 decree on priestly training emphasises the obligation of sexual abstinence and excludes from the priesthood gays and those who support “gay culture”.
A Vatican spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
