(The Pillar. ED. CONDON).
Pope Francis is back in the headlines Wednesday, after reportedly using an offensive Italian term for homosexuality for the second time in recent weeks. According to multiple reports, the pope used the word frociaggine, often translated as “faggotry” while speaking to some 200 Italian priests, just weeks after he reportedly used the term in a closed-door meeting with bishops. The pope used the word to describe a climate and culture around the Roman curia and to reiterate the Church’s discipline that men with a deep seated homosexual orientation should not be admitted to seminary for formation to the priesthood. According to media reports, Francis relayed a conversation with a curial monsignor who allegedly told him he was worried about “the gay culture inside [the Vatican].” Francis recounted that he told the priest “Yes, there is an atmosphere of faggotry. It’s true, you find it in the Vatican.” It is the second time in recent weeks the pope has used the term, provoking criticism for its pejorative connotations.