Pope Francis first said the vulgar Italian slur “frociaggine” in a closed-door meeting with bishops last month, calling priestly colleges already overly full with them.
The Pope used the same phrase on Tuesday when he met with Roman priests, according to the news agency. He claimed that there was a “frociaggine” atmosphere at the Vatican and that it was preferable for young men who might be gay to not be let to enroll in the seminary.
When questioned about the most recent story, the Vatican referred to a statement it had made about the meeting with the priests on Tuesday.
whereby the Pope reaffirmed the importance of accepting persons into the Church and the necessity for care when it comes to their ordination as priests.
It is alleged that he reaffirmed the belief that homosexual persons should not be permitted to become priests during the private meeting on May 20.
“Pope Francis is aware of the articles recently published about a conversation, behind closed doors, with the bishops of the CEI [the Italian Episcopal Conference of Catholic bishops],” the Vatican said in a statement following the meeting.
“There is room in the church for everyone, for everyone, as he said multiple times! There is room for everyone, and nobody is superfluous or useless. As each and every one of us is.