Ga¥ Men Should Not Be Admitted To Church Seminaries – Pope Declares

Pope Francis startled Italian bishops by referring to homosexual men as “too much” when he stated that they shouldn’t be allowed to enroll in church seminaries.

According to Italian media, the pope stated in a private meeting during an episcopal conference at the Vatican that gay persons shouldn’t be permitted to attend universities to pursue priestly training.

The 87-year-old used the vulgar term “frociaggine,” which loosely translates to “f*ry,” to make the comment, which allegedly surprised the bishops present.

According to reports cited by the Italian news agency Adnkronos, the Pope stated during the address that “there is already an air of f*ry around that is not good.” Regarding those with a homosexual orientation, there is a current culture of homosexuality that suggests they would be better off not being welcomed [into the seminary].

‘Incredulous laughing’ greeted the comment, bishops told Corriere della Sera. Some said that the Pope, for whom Italian is a second language, made an honest error and ‘did not realize’ how unpleasant the word was.

The alleged comments, which seem to go against recent moves to amend seminary admission rules, have come as a surprise to some in the church as Francis is known for taking a more liberal view than his predecessors on LGBT rights.

When asked about his views on homosexuality in 2013, he famously said: ‘If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?’

Last year, he described laws that criminalise homosexuality as a ‘sin’ and an ‘injustice’, and allowed Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples in a significant advance for LGBT rights in the church.

However, the Pope delivered a similar message on gay seminarians – minus the reported swear word – when he met Italian bishops in 2018, telling them to carefully vet priesthood applicants and reject anyone suspected of being homosexual.

Political gossip website Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, said to have happened on May 20, when the Italian Bishops Conference opened a four-day assembly with a non-public meeting with the pontiff.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis’s native language is Spanish, and though he is fluent in Italian he has made a number of linguistic faux pas in the past.

He has previously said that if a boy is unsure about his sexuality and is facing mental health challenges he might need ‘psychiatric’ support.

It widely believed he instead meant ‘psychological’ help, words he has also confused on other occasions. [CONTINUE READING HERE]