Pope Francis' words on gay seminarians

It seems that among the well-informed the rumor had been circulating for days, for a week, from the day of the closed-door meeting between Pope Francis and the Italian bishops. Dagospia had published the Pope's words a couple of days ago, now they have ended up on the pages of all the newspapers (not confirmed by the Vatican, but by bishops heard by various newspapers). «There is already too much fagotism in the seminars»these are the words of the pontiff that have brought comments and indignation.

The theme of the meeting was the admission of homosexual candidates for the priesthood into seminaries. That of Pope Francis is a no expressed in words that seem unacceptablebut which many bishops have traced back to Bergoglio's lack of knowledge of the Italian language.

The problem goes beyond the term used. The problem is the Church's position towards homosexuals and in particular the possibility of declared gays being admitted to the priesthood. Francis reiterated a no which is that of the 2005 Vatican Instruction on the “criteria for vocational discernment regarding people with homosexual tendencies”. In that document it says that they cannot be admitted «those who practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted tendencies or support the so-called gay culture”.

In November 2023 the Italian Episcopal Conference, in the assembly of Assisi, approved a text for admission to seminars, Ratio formationis sacerdotalis, which has not yet been published because it lacks the green light from the Holy See. In this document it would be written that acts count and that a homosexual can enter the seminary if his choice of chastity is serious. Here would come the Pope's no, whose position on the community LGBT+ It was often referred to as an opening, but was often misunderstood. It seems to be understood that you do not consider yourself a homosexual person capable of chastity.

Republic reports that Francis was explicitly asked what to do when there is an openly homosexual seminary candidate. A clear no would have come from the Pope “while underlining the respect that is owed to every person regardless of their sexual orientation”.

“There is not too much fagotism, but too many homophobes,” said the dem Alessandro Zan in one of the first comments to arrive. Fabrizio Marrazzo Gay LGBT+, Solidarity, Environmentalist, Liberal Party spokesperson says that the Pope is backsliding on LGBT+ rights and discriminates against gay seminarians. Hence the invitation to the Government to block the 8×1000 funds to the Catholic church which also go to the seminaries. «And who called me a homophobe?», the comment of Roberto Vannacci, candidate with the League for the next European elections. On Twitter there are over 12 thousand posts with the words Pope Francis, mostly memes.