Pope Francis apologizes for using slur referring to gay men
Pope Francis has issued an apology for using a derogatory term referring to gay men during a closed-door discussion among bishops earlier this month.
“The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms,” director of the Vatican press office Matteo Bruni said, “and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of the term.”
During the meeting with Italian bishops at the Vatican last week, there was discussion of whether to admit gay men to Catholic seminaries in preparation for the priesthood.
Italian media reported that multiple people present at the meeting disclosed that Francis opposed the idea, saying there was already too much “frociaggine” in seminaries. Frociaggine is a highly offensive slang term in Italian referring to gay men and gay male culture.
The controversy is the latest in a series of moves that many LGBTQ Catholics view as sending mixed messages. Earlier this year, the Vatican issued a document titled Infinite Dignity referring to what it called “sex change” and “gender theory” as grave threats.
But late last year, Pope Francis issued guidance that allowed priests to bless people in same-sex relationships, although not to bless the relationship itself.
The Catholic Church’s official teaching on the matter is that homosexuality is intrinsically disordered and that sexual activity between people of the same sex is a grave sin.
Still, Bruni said on Tuesday, “As [Francis] has stated on many occasions, 'There is room for everyone in the Church.’ ”
The LGBTQ Catholic group Dignity USA says it’s shocked and saddened with the Francis’s original comments.
“My stomach just dropped,” says Dignity executive director Marianne Duddy-Burke, “It was so disheartening.”
Duddy-Burke says she’s glad Francis apologized but that an apology doesn’t remove the sting of hearing that this pope used that term. She says the incident points to a bigger problem within Catholicism itself.
“The people of the church and the leadership of the church have a chasm between our beliefs,” she says.
She gives as a consequence of that divide what she calls the “river of people” who’ve left the church in recent decades.
Polling suggests Duddy-Burke’s analysis is correct. Pew Research found earlier this year that a majority of Catholics believe the church should perform same-sex marriages. Another poll from the Public Religion Research Institute found that one of the big reasons people say they leave their religion is due to negative teachings about LGBTQ people.
Transcript
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Pope Francis issued an apology today for using a derogatory term referring to gay men during a closed-door discussion among bishops earlier this month. A group of Italian bishops had asked the pope whether the church should admit gay men to Catholic seminaries in preparation for the priesthood. Joining us to discuss Pope Francis' apology and what led to it is NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Hi there.
JASON DEROSE, BYLINE: Hello.
SUMMERS: So, Jason, I mean, I've heard a lot about this story, but I just want to cut to the chase here. What did the pope actually say?
DEROSE: Well, according to Italian media, who spoke with multiple bishops present during this conversation, Pope Francis said that gay men should not be admitted to seminary, and then he used a highly offensive term, a slur that begins with both - an F in both Italian and English to refer to gay men and gay male culture. And he said there was too much of that in seminaries already.
SUMMERS: OK. What can you tell us about his apology?
DEROSE: Well, the pope apologized today through the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni, who issued the statement. He said, quote, "the pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of the term." Bruni went on to say Francis, quote, "has stated on many occasions, there is room for everyone in the church. No one is useless. No one is superfluous. There is room for everyone, just as we are."
SUMMERS: All right. Well, tell us, what have you been hearing from LGBTQ Catholics?
DEROSE: Well, I spoke with DignityUSA, which is one of the main LGBTQ Catholic-rights groups here in the U.S. Dignity's executive director is Marianne Duddy-Burke.
MARIANNE DUDDY-BURKE: My stomach just dropped. It was so disheartening to see this pope, who is known for such a pastoral approach to LGBTQ people, and it was just shocking and very saddening.
DEROSE: Duddy-Burke says she's glad that Francis apologized, but it still - she says, it doesn't remove the sting of the original comments. And she says the comments actually represent a bigger problem within Catholicism.
DUDDY-BURKE: The people of the church and the leadership of the church have a chasm between our beliefs. And I think that we see this, unfortunately, in the river of people who are no longer affiliated with the church in any way, even though they may claim and live their Catholic belief.
DEROSE: And, you know, Juana, polling suggests she's right. Pew Research found earlier this year that a majority of Catholics believe the church should, in fact, perform same-sex marriages. And other polling from the Public Religion Research Institute has found that one of the biggest reasons people say they leave their religion is due to negative teachings about LGBTQ people.
SUMMERS: Jason, I want to bring it back to Pope Francis if I can. Can you help us just put this in context of his relationship to LGBTQ issues?
DEROSE: Well, many point out that the church is sending mixed messages. Earlier this year, the Vatican issued a document referring to what it called sex change and gender theory as grave threats. But late last year, Pope Francis allowed priests to bless people in same-sex relationships, though not bless the relationship itself. And of course, early in his papacy, when asked about gay couples, he famously said, who am I to judge?
However, it's important to note that the Catholic Church's official teaching on the matter is that homosexuality is, quote, "intrinsically disordered" and that sexual activity between people of the same sex is a grave sin. And, Juana, that stance has not changed during this pope's time in office.
SUMMERS: That's NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Jason, thank you.
DEROSE: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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