Pope Francis berated by student for use of anti-LGBTQ+ language

Pope Francis has been scolded by a Filipino Catholic student who told him to “stop using offensive language” against members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Jack Lorenz Acebedo Rivero levied his criticism at the Pope during an online video panel that brought together Catholic students from various countries. He described how he had been an outcast due to his bisexuality, with him describing slurs as causing immense pain.

Pope Francis did not directly address Rivero’s concerns, simply advising Rivero to “always pick true love”.

The criticism comes after two separate incidents in which the Pope, who is head of the Catholic Church, was reported to have used derogatory language against gay people. The first incident took place at the Italian Bishops’ Conference, with the Pope saying that gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood even if they are celibate.

[Pope Francis] followed by describing the Catholic church as having too much an air of ‘frociaggine’

He followed by describing the Catholic church as having too much an air of ‘frociaggine’, a word that translates into a homophobic slur.

The Vatican issued an apology for this first incident, with the Pope apologising to those who felt offended by his usage of the term and reiterating that there is room for everyone in the Church.

However, the Pope has since proceeded to repeat the exact same offensive word in another private meeting. This was with priests at the Salesian Pontifical University, and came alongside a statement that gay men should not be welcomed into seminaries, theological colleges in which priests are trained.

The repeated comments have caused shock and anger by many, such as Rivero, as the Pope has previously called for the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. He has stated that laws criminalising homosexuality were unjust, and called upon the Catholic church to have a more proactive role in putting an end to them.

However, despite his more liberal stance on LGBTQ+ rights, the Pope has still described homosexuality as a sin within the teachings of the Catholic church. He previously described the expansion of gay marriage as a “threat” to the family, and praised the Slovakian church for defending the institution of the family by opposing such an expansion.

The Vatican is yet to issue a direct statement about the second comment, but noted that during the meeting the Pope reiterated the need to welcome gay people into the church whilst still cautioning against allowing them to become priests.