Pope Francis affirmed that there is already a lot of “faggot” in seminaries, according to Italian media

Pope Francis referred to “there was already a lot of faggot” to defend the position of not admitting homosexuals in the seminariesin the closed-door meeting at the assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference, as reported this Monday, May 27, 2024, by some Italian media.

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That the Pope had used the derogatory word in Italian ‘frocciagine’ (faggot) during the meeting with the Italian bishops on May 20 had been published a couple of days ago on the Dagospia website, which spreads alleged exclusive information, but this Monday some Italian media such as Corriere della Sera and Repubblica confirmed the term with some bishops present.

The issue of whether and to what extent to admit openly homosexual candidates into seminaries was being discussed, and Pope Francis, although he reiterated as always the need to welcome everyone, was very rigid about it, reiterating his not to admit them as the Church has already reiterated on several occasions.

According to the newspaper Repubblica, which cites several anonymous sources who agree with his version, Pope Francis jokingly said that “there was already a lot of queerness” in the seminaries.

“Corriere della Sera” explains that, according to those present, “more than shame, The phrase was met with some incredulous laughter.” and that “it was evident that the pope was not aware of how offensive that word is in Italian.”

The Pope reiterated the position of the Church with an instruction from the Dicastery of the Clergy that in 2005, with Benedict XVI, and confirmed in 2016 with Francis, established that “the Church, deeply respecting the people in question, cannot admit into the seminary and in Holy Orders to those who practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture.

In November, at the assembly of Assisi, the Italian bishops approved a text to regulate admission to seminaries, the ‘Ratioformationis sacerdotalis’, which has not yet been published because it is awaiting the green light from the Holy See, and in which An amendment was included that maintained the distinction between simple homosexual orientation and so-called “deeply rooted tendencies”, that is, that a homosexual can be admitted as long as he guarantees, like a heterosexual, that he knows how to maintain the discipline of celibacy.

However, Pope Francis would have, according to these reconstructions, rejected this possibility and homosexuals should not be admitted to seminaries without nuances.

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