Pope Francis made the headlines in the past hours for hosting a meeting with over a hundred comedians from around the world, including American powerhouses such as Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien and Whoopi Goldberg.
However, in more recent hours he did so again for allegedly reiterating a homophobic slur for which he apologized weeks ago. According to several outlets citing Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), the pontiff used the same word at a meeting in the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.
According to the Vatican Press Office, he was meeting with some 160 priests and spoke about a range of issues, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. By the end of the meeting he discussed whether to admit men with "homosexual tendencies" into seminaries.
He said that "everyone" should be welcomed to the Church but reiterated its official opposition to gay men becoming priests. The last time he did so, in late May, led to an apology after making global headlines.
"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," reads a passage of a statement released by his office.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, went on to say that Francis "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."
Back then, outlets provided some nuance to the alleged slur. Pope Francis is Argentine and speaks Italian as a second language, and he may have not been aware of how offensive the term is considered. A source close to the Pope told CNN he may have intended to say there is a "gay climate" in the seminaries. This seems to have been the case again.
As for the meeting with comedians around the world, its purpose is to "celebrate the beauty of human diversity and promote a message of peace, love, and solidarity." The event was organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, which last year also put together a meeting of some 200 artists with the Pope in the Sistine Chapel.
The Pope was also recently in the news after giving an interview with CBS News' 60 minutes, where he said that the U.S. has to "open the door" to the increased arrival of people to its borders.
"For an immigration policy to be good, it must have four things: for the migrant to be received, assisted, promoted and integrated. This is what is most important, to integrate them into the new life," Francis said.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
