Italian media has said that the pope used a highly derogatory slur against LGBTQ+ people at a bishops conference. The remark may sour attempts by the pope to make the church more welcoming.

Pope Francis allegedly used a highly offensive term to refer to LGBTQ+ people during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops, Italian media reported on Tuesday.

The major Italian daily newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera both cited anonymous sources as saying that the pope had made the remark while reiterating his position against gay people becoming priests.

The 87-year-old pontiff was reported as saying that the Catholic seminaries were already too full of “frociaggine” — a highly derogatory term in Italian.

  • OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    It’s interesting that we have documented cases of homosexuality in thousands of different species, and yet not a single other species that practices Catholicism.

    Being gay is more natural than being Catholic.

  • CatZoomies@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Former Catholic, now atheist. I’m glad the Pope is making some progressive steps in the Catholic Church including the LGTBQ+ community.

    I hope this was a misstep, and the case of a 90-year old man from a different country using language that he was not aware is a slur. I really really hope that, or else all that good will was for nothing.

    • BruceTwarzen@kbin.social
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      4 months ago

      I’m so glad the pedophile ring is invluding the lgtbq+ community. They are so nice and progressive. If i were gay, the first thing i’d wish for is that the pedos like me.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        I “meet” a gay religious Catholic once online and my brain is still recovering from it.

        Why? Why? It makes no sense.

        • kux@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          Get raised catholic, turn out gay. What’s to make sense of? Lots of religious followers cherry pick the bits of text they like and disregard the rest, why should gays be any more rational?

            • candybrie@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              But if you truly believe in the religion, what does that change?

              Like I can absolutely abhor some of the things people have done in the name of medicine and often are still doing, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop going to doctors when I’m sick. Because I fundamentally believe in medical science and that I’m more likely to die without them. If you are raised catholic, there’s a good chance you fundamentally believe your eternal life is better if you continue to follow the religion. Sure, I probably have more proof, but their belief is just as strong.

  • megane-kun@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    There’s this saying “a fish is caught through its mouth,” and this is an illustration of what it means. This pope might present this ‘cool’, ‘modern’ image to the public, but his words spoken in private amongst his peers reveals his real stance about these things.


    Edit:‌ proofreading.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Italian isn’t his first language, so it’s possible, but I’m not giving him the benefit of the doubt.

        • bisby@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          the pope had made the remark while reiterating his position against gay people becoming priests.

          It doesn’t matter what word he used, he was using it in an anti LGBT sentiment.

          The 87-year-old pontiff was reported as saying that the Catholic seminaries were already too full of … gay men.

          Here, I removed the slur. This isn’t any better. Italian fluency wasn’t the problem and didn’t change his argument.

            • bisby@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              You’re right, it’s very likely he wasn’t intending to use a slur. But it seems to me like a lot of the reporting is “he didn’t mean to disrespect people!” when that’s not the case. The pope’s intentions were absolutely to disrespect people, just by his actions, and not by that specific word. the specific phrasing he used to do so doesn’t really matter.

      • nefonous@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        That specific word in Italian has multiple meanings, one of which being something like “excessive/useless detail or addition, especially when done for the cool factor only” and another being “gayness”.

        Without the full context of the sentence, it’s very hard to say what he meant or what he was saying.

        Of course the word is still originating from the slur and shouldn’t be used by the pope, but it’s technically possible that wasn’t even used in relation to any minority (just as much as the opposite)

        Unless I missed some extra info or source that has the full context, it’s hard to say

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      He is the “cool pope”… when compared the literal Nazi one before him or the sexual predator protecting one before that. They are all horrible, this one happens to be the least horrible in a long time…possibly ever. Less horrible is still horrible.

  • hamFoilHat@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    So, instead of saying, “Catholic seminaries were already too full of [bundle of sticks]” instead he meant to say that “Catholic seminaries were already too full of homosexuals”. I’m not sure fixing the one word helps his message or is actually even the problem.

    The term he used is being censored on here so I used a substitute.

  • Gennadios@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    This really isnt any different than Grandpa calling the cashier at the Piggly Wiggly a ‘colored’.

  • Cano@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    For those wondering, the word can be roughly translated in english as ::: spoiler Faggotry :::

    Esit: can’t figure out how to mark something as spoiler correctly

  • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
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    4 months ago

    Few things, 1 He has done a lot for the LGBTQ community when it comes to the church ( allows the community to be blessed in church, supporting them to join the church).

    2 I’m sure these was released by a “concerned” bishop instead of someone pissed at him.

    3 Fuck all religion but the leaders need to follow his public example and support the LGBTQ community. Instead they stoke the flames. Be as rasicts, homophobic, or whatever as you want in your private life, I dont give 2 fucks. This coming from someone that looks white but is mix and grew up in Tennessee. Its when they try and push their shit on everyone else that i have an issue.

    • Fades@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      wow he’s so great, he let’s LGBTQ people exist in the church’s vicinity.

      • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
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        4 months ago

        He could be calling for their deaths or blaming them for everything. Progress is done by small changes not massive changes. Is he still shitty, yes. Is he better than most other popes, yes.