POPE APOLOGISES OVER GAY SLUR. (PHOTO).

 POPE APOLOGISES OVER GAY SLUR

Pope Francis issued an extraordinary apology on Tuesday over his reported use of a gay slur in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops last week.

“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and he extends his apologies to those who felt offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” the Vatican said in a statement.

During a meeting with more than 250 bishops last week, the 87-year-old pontiff was said to have used an offensive term while expressing his opposition to openly homosexual men joining training colleges for priests, even if they committed to celibacy.

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Pope Francis is reported to have used extremely derogatory language in an incident that could have a profound impact on the way his attitude towards gay people is perceived.

When asked at the Italian Bishops’ Conference if gay men should now be allowed to train for the priesthood as long as they remained celibate, Pope Francis said they should not.

He is then believed to have continued by saying in Italian that there was, in the Church, already too much of an air of frociaggine, which translates as a highly offensive slur.

Although it was a meeting that happened behind closed doors, the Pope’s reported comments were first conveyed to the Italian tabloid website, Dagospia. Other Italian news agencies have since confirmed the Pope’s words citing numerous sources. There has been shock at the Pope’s reported language at this private meeting, particularly as he has often talked publicly of being respectful towards gay people.