In a closed-door meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis requested that gay men not be allowed into the seminary to prepare for priesthood. According to local media, the pontiff expressed his concern about the issue in colloquial terms, stating that "there is already too much queerness in certain seminaries."
According to reports, Francis was speaking at the assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference about the admission of seminarians when one of the bishops specifically asked about the admission of openly gay men. Francis responded that it was better not to accept someone with this tendency, using the word "frociaggine" (faggot), a term that many media outlets have described as vulgar and offensive.
According to episcopal sources cited by Il Corriere della Sera, they reported that the pope's phrase was received with some "laughter of disbelief" since "it was evident that the pope was not aware of how offensive that word is in Italian" because it is not his native language.
It is important to note that the pope's request is aligned with the Vatican instruction of 2005, confirmed by himself in 2016, which establishes that "the Church cannot admit to the seminary and sacred orders to those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture."
During the meeting, the pope also stressed the importance of bishops accompanying rejected young people in a compassionate and respectful manner, ensuring they are given the necessary support during their vocational discernment process.
Despite his firm stance on not admitting homosexual people to the priesthood, the pope has consistently advocated for the inclusion of homosexual people, even allowing the blessing of homosexual and civil couples as long as it is not confused with marriage.
