Pope Comes Under Fire over Alleged Use of Homophobic Slur

Pope Francis is facing backlash for allegedly using a derogatory slur when referring to gay people during a meeting with Italian bishops, despite his previous rhetoric of welcome towards the LGBTQ community.

Pope Francis is under fire for what he allegedly said regarding gay people; during a recent meeting with the Italian bishops he reportedly used extremely vulgar slang for gay people.

As reported by the Italian media based on the information from the sources, the Pope stated that there was already too much of the “frociaggine” in the Church when he was asked whether gay men should be allowed to train for the priesthood as long as they abstain from sex. The Italian word used here is a very obscene slang for homosexuals.

The secret meeting quotes were initially highlighted by the Italian tabloid Dagospia and have been further corroborated by various Italian outlets. The remarks are viewed as especially egregious due to the Pope’s earlier comments about the need to respect people in the LGBTQ community.

In 2013, the current Pope of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, said that “Who am I to judge?” when questioned on the issue of gay people. Recently, he has said that priests can bless same-sex couples in some situations which has caused outrage among the traditionalists.

However, the Pope has remained a staunch supporter of the Church's stand against gay marriage and for the view that homosexual acts are sinful. Others claimed that his recent words are a clear signal of the complete exclusion of gay men from the possibility of becoming priests even if they remain celibate.

Some media sources claim the Pope may have also said that gay people need to be expelled from seminaries even if they do not engage in homosexual activities.

The Vatican has yet to respond to the alleged derogatory remarks which could further harm Pope Francis’ reputation of being more liberal on LGBTQ matters than his contemporaries.

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Some liberal Catholics have liked the Pope’s lip service regarding the inclusion of homosexuality, while Church policy has not changed. But these latest comments pose a threat to that perception and may bring division in the relationship between the members of the LGBTQ community and the White House.