ROME — Pope Francis complained last week during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops that Catholic seminaries are rife with “homosexuality,” according to local media reports.
The Pope is famous AskedHe has been an outspoken critic of gays in the Catholic clergy since 2013, when he said “who am I to judge” a gay bishop who was trying to live a chaste life.
In 2018, Francis argued that it was a mistake to downplay the seriousness of homosexuality and that gay people are not eligible for the priesthood.
Homosexuality is “not simply an expression of affection,” the Pope said in his book. interview“In consecrated life and in the priestly life there is no room for such affections.”
The Pope reiterated that “people with such deep-rooted inclinations should not be received into the priesthood or into consecrated life, which are no place for them.”
The 87-year-old pope made the following remarks on May 20 while expressing his opposition to allowing gays to attend seminaries to train for the priesthood. meeting There were already too many Phlosiagin In some seminaries, this is an offensive Italian derogatory term that translates as “homosexuality.”
The bishops should “catch all the faggots” [checche] “Those who have graduated from seminaries, even those who only half applied,” the pope reportedly added.
The meeting took place in Rome last week but was first reported by Italian tabloids on Monday. Website Since Dagospia Confirmed by several unnamed bishops who were present at the conference.
In response to the uproar over the pope’s comments, Matteo Bruni, head of the Vatican press office, said on Tuesday that the pope “never intended to offend or express homophobic language and apologizes to those who have been offended by the use of language reported by others.”
