In a globalized and polarized world, Pope Francis was not immune to the controversies during the papacy.
See some of the papal attitudes and speeches that generated repercussions during the leadership of the Catholic Church.
Slapped in faithful
On the last day of 2019, Pope Francis shared opinions after slapping a faithful that pulled him by the arm in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
The episode occurred when he greeted pilgrims, and suddenly a woman held the pontiff’s hand and pulled him hard toward him.
The Pope reacted with a slap on the follower’s arm and walked away from the visibly angry place. After the broad repercussion of the images, reproduced incessantly around the world, the Pope used his first 2020 homily to denounce violence against women and apologize.
“We often lose patience, even me, and apologize for yesterday’s bad example,” said the Pope to thousands of people at the end of the traditional New Year Mass.
Criticized who prefers to be “father of pet” to have a child
On a relatively recent trip, held in September 2024, Pope Francis criticized people who prefer to have pets rather than children.
The “scolding” happened during its time in Indonesia, by praising countries that have large families, with “three, four or five children, who continue to advance.”
“Continue like this, you are an example for everyone, for countries where – and this may sound funny – families prefer to have a cat or puppy instead of a child,” the pontiff added.
For the Pope, “the great wealth a country has is the births” of children.
Months earlier, he had already addressed the demographic crisis that affects some European countries, stating that “houses are full of children’s objects and empty, becoming sad places.”
Criticized contraceptive methods
In a pro-national conference in 2024, the pontiff stated that weapons destroy life and contraceptives prevent it. The criticism was made during a speech in a conference on the demographic crisis in Europe.
“At this time, the most profitable investments are the arms industry and contraceptive. One destroys life and the other prevents it,” he expressed, in another demonstration in favor of greater birth, asking for the commitment of governments with “serious and effective” decisions in favor of the family.
The Pope has manifested concern about the reduction of Italy’s births, which he said “is progressively losing his hope in the future, as well as the rest of Europe.”
“The old continent becomes increasingly on an old, tired and resigned continent,” he said, arguing that people have children.
“Selfishness, consumerism, individualism make people satiated, alone and unhappy,” concluded the Pope.
Controversy involving homophobic expression
In May 2024, Pope Francis was involved in a controversy with the LGBTQIA+ community when the Dagospia portal, which specializes in gossip and behind -the -scenes, published that the pontiff used a homophobic expression at a closed -door meeting with Bishops in the Vatican.
According to the portal, the Pope used the word “frocociaggine” – something that, in a free translation, is equivalent to the expression “viadage” in Portuguese. This is a pejorative term to describe LGBTQIA+people.
The news was determined by the Corriere Della newspapers and La Repubblica who, citing sources, confirmed the information that the Pope actually used the word “viadage.”
It took place on May 20, at the meeting between Francisco and the Italian bishops who arrived in Rome for the General Assembly.
“We were talking about a very serious question. To what extent homosexual candidates to the priesthood should be admitted to the seminars. And Francisco, while reiterating the need to welcome everyone, at one point tried to say it in their own way,“ there is a lot of ‘viadion’ in the seminars, ”the source told Corriere della Sera.
A few days after the publication of the reports, the Vatican issued a statement saying that Francis had no intention of using “homophobic language” and apologized to those who felt offended.
After the initial account of the use of the word, Corriere della will be quoted bishops at the meeting and said that the Argentine Pope could not have realized that the Italian term he used was offensive.
A few days later, on June 11, 2024, Francisco returned to use the term “viadage”. The episode took place at the meeting with closed doors at Salesian University with about 200 priests from the Diocese of Rome.
The Pope reiterated his refusal to welcome young homosexuals who wish to become priests. According to sources present at the meeting, cited by the Italian press, the pontiff said: “Gay are good subjects, follow good ways of faith, seek the Lord. But it is better to refer them to some good spiritual father, some psychologist…”
Then Francis added: “A priest even told me that today being homosexual is a source of pride. No, gay ideology is very strong and not good, the gay lobby ideologizing the phenomenon” adding that “the” vatican viagem ‘is not good. “
Communism and the flag of the poor
In an interview with an Italian newspaper, Pope Francis said the communists “stole” from the church the flag of helping the poor.
“I can only say that the communists have stolen our flag. The flag of the poor is Christian. Poverty is at the center of the Gospel,” he said when he quoting biblical passages about the need to help the poor, sick and the needy.
The Pontiff concluded by saying that the communists claim that these humanitarian aids are from communism, but that this ideology emerged 20 centuries after Christianity.
“When they say that [que ajudar as pessoas carentes é comunismo]Someone can say, so you are a Christian, ”concluded Francisco.
Better being atheist than hypocritical Catholic
In a sermon held in 2017, Pope Francis criticized Catholics with “double life”, saying that it is better to be an atheist than a hypocritical Catholic.
The criticism was made about those who say one thing and do another. Like those who say they are Catholics and attend Mass, but do not pay appropriate salaries, explore people, do business dirty and wash money.
Regarding those who do not practice what they preach, they say they cause scandals and are usually a reason for comments such as: “If this person is Catholic, it would be better to be an atheist,” said Francisco.
Criticism of Trump’s wall
Amid the controversy during the first term of US President Donald Trump, Pope Francis criticized the project to build a wall on the Mexico border.
“Fear makes us crazy,” he said in 2019 after the Republican asking the US Congress 5.7 billion to fund a wall between the US and Mexico, to prevent immigrants from entering without permission.
At the time, Francis said it would be better to “not raise walls, but bridges, not to respond to evil with evil, to overcome evil with good.”
The pontiff also harshly questioned the separation of migrant children and parents, stating that this “goes against natural law” and that it was “the greatest cruelty.”
This content was originally published in Papa slapped faithful and criticized “Pet’s Parents”; Remember controversy on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
