Pope Francis made an extraordinary apology on Tuesday regarding his reported use of a gay slur during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops last week.
“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who felt offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” stated the Vatican in a released statement.
During a gathering with over 250 bishops, the 87-year-old pontiff allegedly used an offensive term while expressing his opposition to openly homosexual men joining training colleges for priests, even if they committed to celibacy.
According to reports from two Italian newspapers, Francis used a term that translates as “faggotry” while expressing concern over what he perceived as an excess of it in seminaries.
The news spread globally, eliciting dismay from LGBTQ groups and practicing Catholics alike.
While some commentators speculated that the Argentine pope may have been unaware of the impact of his words, the Vatican statement did not confirm his use of the word but referenced the newspaper reports.
“As he has stated on several occasions: ‘In the Church, there is room for everyone, everyone! Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, there is space for everyone. Just as we are, all of us’,” the statement concluded.
