Pope Francis Uses Anti-Gay Slur, Vatican Issues Apology
metroweekly.comDagospia, and subsequently circulated by other Italian media. Italian is not Francis’s native language and the Argentine-born pope has made linguistic gaffes in the past, notes The Associated Press.
The 87-year-old pontiff has a penchant for speaking informally, often employing jokes using slang and even cursing in private.In keeping with the tradition of not revealing what the pope says in private, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement acknowledging the controversy over the pope’s alleged comments, although he did not confirm or deny whether the head of the Roman Catholic Church had uttered the slur.Bruni said Francis was aware of the reports.
He noted that Francis, whose tenure as pope has been marked by a more conciliatory tone towards LGBTQ Catholics, has long insisted there is “room for everyone” in the Church.“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others,” Bruni said in a statement.Francis reportedly made the remarks while addressing the ongoing ban on allowing openly gay men to enter seminaries and be ordained priests.The Italian bishops conference that he was addressing recently approved a new document outlining training for Italian seminaries.
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