Among the bishops present at the meeting, the reaction to the word Francis chose was shocking: “frociaggin”. There are those who consider it a translation error, recalling the Argentinian origin of the Supreme Pontiff. In Italy, this word is considered offensive
“There are already many oddities.” It’s a phrase that dominates the Italian press. Pope Francis said this last Monday, May 20, during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops.
In it, the head of the Catholic Church called for more fair access to seminaries, an environment he believes already contains many homosexuals.
Pope Francis used the word “Frosiajin”, which, in a free translation, is equivalent to the word “fox” in Portuguese. It is a derogatory term to describe the gay community.
“In some Italian seminaries there are already many oddities,” he said, according to the Italian press.
The bishops interviewed by “Corriere della Sera” admit that the supreme pontiff does not know how offensive the word is in Italian, of its Argentine origin, and in Spanish it does not have the same meaning.
However, as several reports in the Italian press confirmed, the choice did not fail to shock many of the 200 bishops present. There was even a laugh of astonishment at the chosen word, which was seen as an affront.
Pope Francis’ stance on stricter criteria for access to Italian seminaries contradicts his public statements. Recently, he said that he is not opposed to the blessing of same-sex couples. And in Lisbon, last World Youth Day, he argued that the Church should be “for everyone, for everyone, for everyone.”
This blockade of seminaries will weigh on concerns about the existence of a “double life” on the part of future clergy, continuing to have sexual relations with other men while preaching the word of God.
Indeed, it’s an issue that’s been going on for years, dividing the Catholic Church itself, with high-ranking members defending denying gays access to seminary and others defending equal rights.