Pope Who Embraced LGBTQ+ Community Insults Homosexuals in Private Meeting

Controversy Over Derogatory Slang Used at Bishops' Meeting
"Might Not Have Known Since Italian Is Not Their Mother Tongue"

Pope Francis, who has shown an inclusive attitude toward sexual minorities, including allowing blessings for same-sex couples, was reported by foreign media to have referred to sexual minorities using a derogatory slur during a private meeting.

Pope Francis Photo by Yonhap News

On the 28th, Yonhap News reported, citing major foreign media and Italian local press on the 27th (local time), that Pope Francis used the insulting term "frociaggine" when meeting with Italian bishops on the 20th. The Italian word "frociaggine" is known to be a highly derogatory term for male homosexuality, roughly translatable in Korean as "homo."

During the meeting, Pope Francis reportedly joked, "There are already too many frociaggine in some seminaries." Italian local media such as the daily La Repubblica pointed out that this remark came in the context of expressing his usual stance that homosexuals should not be allowed to become priests.

However, local media explained that Pope Francis, being from Argentina and a native Spanish speaker, might not have been aware of how offensive the term is in Italy when he used it.

The Vatican did not issue an official response to foreign media requests for comments regarding Pope Francis's remarks.

Since his enthronement in 2013, Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized respect for sexual minorities and the prohibition of discrimination. In 2013, he said, "If a homosexual person is searching for God with goodwill, who am I to judge?" In 2016, he sparked attention by stating, "The Roman Catholic Church should apologize for the way it has treated homosexuals."

Additionally, in December last year, he officially approved the blessing of same-sex couples by Roman Catholic priests. Although the blessing must not be conducted as part of the church's formal rites or Mass and is distinct from the sacrament of marriage, it was regarded as a historic decision overturning the Catholic Church's tradition of rejecting homosexuality.