Pope
Francis' office issued a statement on Tuesday responding to reports that the
pontiff had used a homophobic term for LGBTQ+ people in a closed-door meeting
with bishops.
"In the Church there is
room for everyone, for everyone! Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous,
there is room for everyone. Just as we are, all of us," Pope Francis said
in a statement.
The pope had "never
intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to
those who felt offended by the use of a term reported by others," said
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office.
On Monday, it was reported
that the Pope Francis had used derogatory language at the Italian Bishops'
Conference when asked if gay men should be allowed to train as priests if they
remain celibate. The pope reportedly said gay men should not be allowed to
train as priests even if they pledge to remain celibate, and he used a
homophobic slur.
The remarks were first
reported on the Italian tabloid website Dagospia and then by other Italian news
agencies.
Pope Francis has
been seen as being publicly respectful towards LGBTQ+ people and recently said
priests should be able to bless same-sex
couples in some circumstances, though he stressed
the blessings would be for the individuals in the couples and not the couples
themselves.
Anna Matranga in Rome contributed to this report.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment