Pope Francis used the word “frociaggine,” which, in a free translation, would be equivalent to the phrase “fags” in Portuguese.
Pope Francis apologized on Tuesday for comments he made about homosexuals, noting that “there are already too many homosexuals” in seminaries.
“The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others,” it can be read in a statement issued by the Italian News Agency (ANSA), explaining that the statements were withdrawn “A conversation behind doors Closed with the bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
The Vatican press office stated that the Pope, as he has said on several occasions, defends that “in the Church there is a place for everyone, for everyone.” “No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is a place for everyone.”
On Monday, the Italian press published statements made by the Pope during a closed meeting with the Italian bishops on May 20. In it, the leader of the Catholic Church made calls for more wise access to seminaries, implying that there were many homosexuals among them.
Pope Francis used the word “frociaggine,” a word that, in a free translation, could be equivalent to the phrase “fags” in Portuguese. It is a derogatory term to describe the gay community.
In response, the bishops interviewed by Corriere della Sera admitted that the Pope would not be aware of how offensive the word is in Italian, remembering its Argentine origin and the fact that in Spanish it does not have the same connotation.
