(ProsperNews.net) – The Pope has apologized for saying there was too much “fa**otry” in Catholic seminaries. The 87-year-old Pontiff made the remarks in Italian when asked if the church should permit the recruitment of openly gay but celibate men. News of the controversial comments, made during a private meeting, leaked online, prompting a backlash. The Vatican has since issued a statement saying the Pope meant no offense and welcomed everyone into the church.
Italian newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica both published the Pontiff’s remarks. They noted that the Pope had merely confirmed the church’s position that gay men should not serve as priests but that the language used was considered shocking.
Some Italian reporters speculated that the Pope, who speaks Italian as a second language, may not have entirely understood the impact of his words. Francis’ native language is Spanish, and some observers have remarked that mistakes in Spanish and Italian colloquialisms are common. A veteran Vatican reporter in Italy insisted that the remark was a “gaffe rather than a slur.”
The Vatican’s apologies have not assuaged critics, with some pointing out the inconsistency of the Pope’s private words and public professions. In 2013, for example, Pope Francis said he would not judge gay priests as they are “brothers” in God and should not be “marginalized.”
Robert Mickens of the Catholic publication La Croix International said, “Despite the noises about greater inclusiveness in recent years, nothing has really changed.”
The Pope’s prior comments on homosexuality have varied. In 2018, he told a gay man that God made him that way, while in the same year, he suggested psychiatric help should be offered to young people who believe they are gay. Two years later, he endorsed legal protections for gay couples, and in 2023, he declared that homosexuality was not a “crime” in the church’s view.
Pope Francis’ approach is described as markedly different from his predecessor, Pope Benedict, who said the church should not welcome homosexuals.
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