It’s time Pope Francis learned the dangers of careless talk (Opinion)

The Pope is Christ’s vicar on earth, the spiritual head of the Church. But this Pope can also be humanly indiscreet and imprudent.

Francis has had to make an apology to homosexuals after an expression he used in a closed meeting with Italian bishops – “frociaggine” – roughly equivalent to the English slang “faggotry” was leaked to a gossip website, Dagospia; he used it in connection with the question of whether gay men should be admitted to seminaries. Naturally, homosexuals were unimpressed.

The Vatican’s apology was clear: Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican’s press office, said Francis was aware of the newspaper reports about the closed-door conversation and “apologises to those who felt offended by the use of the term, reported by others”.

“As he stated on several occasions, ‘In the church there is room for everyone, for everyone. Nobody is useless, nobody is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, all of us,'” said Bruni. 

“The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and apologises to those who felt offended by the use of a term, reported by others.”

The interesting thing about this statement is the reference to a “closed-door conversation”. 

And indeed, the fact that this was an assembly of the Italian bishops should have alerted the pope to the need to watch his language: the bishops include gossips, something he should have had no illusions about.

The Pope, moreover, has form when it comes to earthy language; in a previous encounter with seminarians, he shocked observers with his coarse language. 

Any pope is human, but the very fact that his words may reverberate around the world, not just the Catholic world, means that he has the elementary responsibility to think before he speaks.

On the question of whether homosexuals should be admitted to seminaries, the pope reportedly said that while it was important to embrace everyone, it was likely that a gay person could risk leading a double life.

Here it is important that Francis should distinguish between men who are actively homosexual and those who are homosexual by inclination. Many men of homosexual orientation are in the clergy and in seminaries already. 

What matters is not what a man’s orientation is but that it is sublimated in the self-sacrifice of celibacy, not to make priests and religious miserable, but to put them fully at the service of the people of God. 

Many such priests are exemplary pastors.

What the pope might have in mind is the situation that obtained in some seminaries which were notorious for active homosexuality among staff and members and where innocent seminarians were exposed to a culture of flagrant vice. 

And that culture did indeed lead to the ordination of priests who led double lives, lacking spiritual integrity. 

 This has no place in the church.

Let us hope that this episode has taught Pope Francis the dangers of careless talk, or at least, of bad language. 

He may also reflect that there is no such thing as a closed door conversation in Rome.

New Mexico priest dies by suicide amid child sex abuse investigation

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said last week that a former priest charged in a child sex abuse case ended his own life ahead of a court hearing on the matter. 

The archdiocese said in a press release that Daniel Balizan had “taken his life” ahead of “a hearing in a child sexual abuse case.”  

Local media reported that Balizan’s body was found on Friday morning in Springer, New Mexico.

Balizan’s “tragic decision to end his life underscores the far-reaching and devastating consequences of the crime of child abuse — affecting victims, their loved ones, and even perpetrators themselves,” the archdiocese said in its Friday statement. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced Balizan’s indictment in June of last year. He was accused of coercing and enticing a child under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. The alleged abuse reportedly occurred between 2012 and 2022.

The prosecutor’s office said last year that Balizan “allegedly used text messages to coerce and entice a minor victim … to engage in sexual activity with him.”

The archdiocese said after his arrest last year that upon receiving the allegations in 2022 it “promptly reported” them to the authorities, “leading to Balizan’s immediate removal as the pastor of Santa Maria de la Paz in Santa Fe.”

Prosecutors and defense attorneys had announced at the beginning of May that Balizan had agreed to a plea deal in the case. Balizan requested “that he be permitted to remain out of custody pending the sentencing hearing,” the plea filing said.

The 61-year-old was facing a minimum of 10 years in prison on the charges.

Balizan was ordained in 1989 and had served at eight parishes in the Santa Fe Archdiocese before his arrest.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the former priest had been released to the custody of his brother after being arrested. 

In the intervening months Balizan had “done bookkeeping, housekeeping, and groundskeeping work at the small family hotel,” his lawyer had said in a filing earlier this month. 

The former priest “also has been visiting and assisting his 89-year-old mother three days a week,” his attorney said.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe said in its Friday statement that it “reaffirm[ed] its zero tolerance and unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of its community members, especially the vulnerable.”

The archdiocese further “emphasize[s] its ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and support for survivors of abuse.”

Carbon Dating Reveals True Age of Purported Tunics of St. Peter and St. John

The Vatican Museums on Thursday announced the new permanent exhibition of two relics purportedly belonging to St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist, shedding light on their origin and age.

The conference titled “The Tunics of St. Peter and St. John, Two Extraordinary Relics of the Sancta Sanctorum,” presented a historic overview of the two relics — a tunic of St. Peter and a dalmatic belonging to St. John the Evangelist — as well as presentations on the intensive restoration process concluded by the Tapestries and Textiles Restoration Laboratory of the Vatican Museums and the report analysis performed by the museums’ Cabinet of Scientific Research.

“The tunic with narrow sleeves, in particular, dates back to the sixth/seventh century, while the dalmatic dates back to between the end of the first and the beginning of the third century,” said Alessandro Vella, expert of Christian antiquity at the Vatican Museums, on the museum’s carbon dating analysis.

“If the tunic with narrow sleeves dates from the next years of the pontificate of Gregory the Great,” he continued, “it evidently cannot have belonged either to St. John the Evangelist nor to St. Peter, nor to any of the apostles. It would therefore be a false relic.”

But Vella noted the garments can still hold devotional value, a claim he made referencing a letter from Pope Pelagius from the middle of the sixth century on a practice “used to obtain secondary relics.”

“Any commonly used garment could be placed in contact with the venerated tomb of a saint,” he said. “At that point the robe, a tunic, specifically, left for three days at the tomb of St. Peter, would have absorbed the sanctifying virtues ‘ex contactu,’ by contact, and would in turn have become a relic if our only one was truly identifiable with the relic of St. John.”

The garments were held in the Sancta Sanctorum (Holy of Holies), a chapel located at the top of the Scala Santa (the Holy Stairs) on the inside of the original Lateran Palace, which sits adjacent to the archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the official seat of the pope as the bishop of Rome.

The Sancta Sanctorum was used to store objects of inestimable artistic and devotional values, going back to at least the middle of the eighth century, and became the private oratory of the popes. The collection included items such as the jeweled cross of Pope Sergius, relics belonging to St. Praxedes and St. Agnes, as well as the Uronica icon, an image of Christ as ruler of the universe, attributed to St. Luke.

In 1903 Pope Leo XIII allowed for scholars to enter the site to open up an investigation of the relics. But it wasn’t until 1905 that a blacksmith was able to open the two 13th-century bronze doors that enclosed the iron vault under the altar.

“The reliquaries, as well as the textiles, were transferred to the Christian Museum of the Vatican Library in 1906, then to the Vatican Museums in accordance with the rescriptum of Pope John Paul II in 1999,” explained the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, a group dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the museums’ extensive collection of artwork.

Vella shed light on the origin of the items in the collection, noting that they are not only of great devotional value but also represent the extensive diplomatic exchange that cut across the Mediterranean world.

“The composition analyzed by scholars reveals that it was not a random collection of objects collected by pilgrims during their travels but rather diplomatic gifts exchanged between the heads of the ecclesiastical hierarchies and particularly between the popes and patriarchs of Jerusalem.”

“So these movements, these journeys, of the relics,” Vella continued, “followed official diplomatic channels, which are also attested by various other examples.”

Chronicling this historical development is important, Vella emphasized, as it offers an explanation on how the tunics arrived in the collection.

“If our tunic were truly identifiable with the relic of St. John — and there are clearly doubts that remain — this would be the origin we should attribute to it,” Vella said. “That is, it would be a garment dating back to the end of the sixth century, ritually sanctified thanks to contact with the tomb of the Evangelist John in the basilica dedicated to the saint in the city of Ephesus, Turkey, which then reached Rome and the Lateran, possibly passing through Syracuse.” 

Vatican investigator urges bishops to report all suspected child abuse

 

The head of the Vatican office that disciplines predator priests on Tuesday called on bishops across the world to report all suspect child abuse cases to him in order "to clean up this situation".

The Roman Catholic Church has for decades been shaken by scandals across the world involving paedophile priests and the cover-up of their crimes, damaging its credibility and costing hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

"I want all cases brought to light, so that the Church can be transparent," said Father John Joseph Kennedy, an Irish cleric and head of the disciplinary section of the Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF).

"I worry for the countries and the bishops who are not sending us the cases. It would be better to have a truck arrive in front of (our office) with all the cases, we get to work and clean up this situation," he told reporters.

He did not say which nations or dioceses he suspected were failing to report.

Kennedy, who rarely speaks to the press or appears in public, belongs to a secretive institution criticised for its lack of transparency. He acknowledged the problem and hinted at changes "in the not distant future".

Victims of abusive priests, for example, routinely complain that they are not informed about the investigations.

Kennedy, who works under Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the DDF and one of Pope Francis' closest aides, said about 77% of cases that are reported to his office involved child abuse.

He was addressing journalists on the sidelines of a conference in Rome on child sex abuse in Italy, a country where bishops have been slower than elsewhere in Europe to respond to scandals.

Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, have pledged "zero tolerance" against child abuse, but critics say reforms introduced so far have not been enough to root out abusive clergy and help their victims.

Holy See receives positive evaluation in Moneyval follow-up report

According to a statement by the Holy See Press Office released on Tuesday, the First "Regular Follow-up Report" by the MONEYVAL Committee of the Council of Europe, marks a significant milestone in the Holy See's efforts to comply with international financial standards.

The report was based upon the evaluation conducted during the 67th Plenary Meeting, held in Strasbourg from May 20 to 24, 2024.

The statement points out that “The Holy See, including Vatican City State has received a positive assessment in the First "Regular Follow-up Report" by the MONEYVAL Committee,” and says it marks a significant milestone in the Holy See's efforts to comply with international financial standards.

The MONEYVAL Committee, responsible for assessing the compliance of its member states with international standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, initially evaluated the Holy See in April 2021. 

The recent follow-up report evaluates the progress made since then.

Key findings

The report highlights that the Holy See has made substantial progress in enhancing its legal and regulatory framework. The Committee recognized these advancements, which align with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The focus areas included:

• Prevention and Combatting of Money Laundering: Strengthened measures and legal provisions have been put in place to prevent and address money laundering activities.

• Counter-Terrorism Financing: Enhanced protocols and compliance measures aimed at detecting and preventing the financing of terrorist activities.

• Combating the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Updated regulations to prevent the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Positive Outcomes

The Committee's report is broadly positive, commending the Holy See for its diligent efforts over the past three years. The advancements, it says, have led to an improved rating for the Holy See's compliance with FATF recommendations.

The report, published on the institutional website of the MONEYVAL Committee, confirms the Holy See's commitment to maintaining and enhancing transparency in financial operations. This positive evaluation underscores the effective collaboration between the various authorities within the jurisdiction.

Future assessments

The next evaluation of the Holy See's technical compliance is scheduled for four years from now. This upcoming assessment will likely be part of the "6th round of mutual evaluation" involving all jurisdictions adhering to the MONEYVAL Committee.

Commitment to transparency

The Holy See's continuous improvements reflect its dedication to full financial transparency and adherence to international standards, the statement notes, adding that the positive outcome of the Regular Follow-up Report testifies to “the joint work of all the authorities of the jurisdiction and in continuity with the process of full financial transparency in which the jurisdiction of the Holy See (including the Vatican City State) is engaged.”

Fresno Diocese to file for bankruptcy amid surge in clergy abuse claims

The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno says the diocese plans to file for bankruptcy in a matter of months.

That's following what it calls a "Surge" in clergy sexual abuse claims.

The California sexual abuse and Cover-up Accountability Act helped bring the number of credible accusations within the Diocese of Fresno to 154 cases, dating back decades.

It's important to clarify that none of the claims involve people currently serving in the diocese.

The bishop says the only way to resolve every claim fairly and compassionately is to file for bankruptcy.

When I hear how many lives were affected by clergy sexual abuse, my heart truly breaks," said Bishop Joseph V. Brennan with the Diocese of Fresno.

On Tuesday, the Diocese of Fresno posted this video on YouTube addressing the many claims filed against the church for sexual abuse of a minor.

"Victims of abuse endure a lifetime of pain, and we as Catholics must commit to a lifetime of atonement," said Brennan.

The California sexual abuse and Cover-up Accountability Act legislation opened a three-year window for survivors of sexual assault to file claims against their abusers and the institutions involved in covering up the abuse, even if the statute of limitations has expired.

Since the filing window closed on December 31st, 2022, the Fresno Catholic Diocese has received 154 credible claims filed against the church.

"The reopening of the window has made every diocese in California susceptible to more claims," said Brennan. "What we are facing gives us the opportunity to redouble our efforts in creating a safe environment for everyone."

But the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, also known as SNAP, says filing for bankruptcy could do more harm to the victims.

If the catholic church is going to hold itself out there as a moral beacon for a fallen world, then I think they have to act like a moral beacon. And I frankly think these bankruptcies are immoral," said Melanie Sakoda, the SNAP Survivor Support Director.

She says if the church files, this could be a legal tactic to protect itself.

Bankruptcy also would only give survivors who have come forward a chance to speak up.

"#1, these children will never have a chance to be compensated for their injuries, and #2, It's sad for the people in the parishes too, because they will never...that information about who these abusers are may never see public light," said Sakoda. "There's no way that the church can weed out all the abusers, and churches are attractive to predators, so when you...If you take your children to church, pay attention to changes in behavior. Don't just assume that because it's the church that, it's 100% safe."

Since so many cases have come forward, the church says filing for bankruptcy will help to prevent the depletion of funds from the first few cases.

The diocese of Fresno says it plans to file in August.

This isn't the first diocese in the state to file for bankruptcy.

Last month, the diocese of Sacramento filed after more than 250 lawsuits claiming sexual abuse by clergy.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Archdiocese of Oakland, and the Diocese of Santa rosa all filed last year, too.

Argentina shaken by ouster of top bishop, successor to Vatican doctrine czar

A top bishop in Argentina tapped to succeed a close papal friend and ally has resigned less than a year after his appointment, apparently after being asked to do so by the pope due to various problems in his previous diocese.

On May 27, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Archbishop Gabriel Antonio Mestre from leadership of the Archdiocese of La Plata in Argentina.

Mestre was appointed to La Plata last year, after its previous shepherd, Víctor Manuel Fernández, was hand picked by Pope Francis as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and named a cardinal.

According to an official schedule of the pope’s activities, Fernández, a close friend of Francis and a ghostwriter for several papal documents, had a meeting with the pope Monday morning, the same day Mestre’s resignation was announced.

Prior to his appointment to La Plata, Mestre from 2017 until July 2023 served as bishop of his home diocese of Mar del Plata, one of Argentina’s largest and most popular costal tourist hubs.

Since Mestre’s installation in La Plata last September, the Diocese of Mar del Plata has been in turmoil, seeing two bishops resign in just three months, and one former diocesan administrator undergo a canonical inquiry.

After Mestre left Mar del Plata, being installed in La Plata last September, a former diocesan vicar general, Father Luis Albóniga, was named apostolic administrator, meaning he was in charge of running things until a new bishop was appointed.

On Nov. 21, 2023, Pope Francis named José María Baliña, an auxiliary in Buenos Aires, as the new bishop of Mar del Plata. However, Baliña resigned Dec. 13, less than a month later, due to what the diocese said were health problems, as well as personal and family problems, with Baliña saying he had “rushed” into accepting the job.

That same day, it was announced that Gustavo Larrazábal, an auxiliary in San Juan de Cuyo, had been appointed as the new bishop of Mar del Plata.

He was scheduled to take possession of the diocese Jan. 20, however, several days prior, on Jan. 9, local newspaper La Capital de Mar del Plata published a report containing allegations from a woman who accused Larrazábal of abuse of power and harassment between 2007 and 2013.

In response, the Vatican’s nunciature in Argentina said it had “full confidence” in Larrazábal, who maintained his innocence, but that Pope Francis had accepted his resignation Jan. 17, and ordered that he stay in his post as an auxiliary bishop in San Juan de Cuyo.

Larrazábal in the announcement of his resignation said he had come to the decision at the end of “a process of discernment and prayer” which led him to the conclusion that it was “not appropriate” to assume governance of Mar del Plata.

At that time, Pope Francis named Bishop Ernesto Giobando, auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and a fellow Jesuit, as administrator of Mar del Plata, in place of Albóniga.

Giobando was seen as being the pope’s man, as he had attended the Colegio Máximo de San José in San Miguel in the Jesuit province of Buenos Aires, where the future pope once taught as a professor.

In an even more surreal turn of events for Mar del Plata, the diocesan community was informed on Jan. 28 that Albóniga had to leave the diocese and would exercise his ministry in the Diocese of Jujuy, with his departure pitched as a “time of rest” after administering the diocese through a tumultuous period.

However, two days later, the diocese issued a statement Jan. 30 saying Albóniga’s transfer to Jujuy was due to a canonical inquiry being conducted into his actions while acting as diocesan administrator following Mestre’s departure, though no specific allegations were made public.

In a May 27 letter to the community of La Plata following the announcement of his resignation, Mestre said that “Days ago, the Holy See called me to Rome to speak about some aspects of the Diocese of Mar del Plata after my transfer to the Archdiocese of La Plata after being named metropolitan archbishop by Pope Francis.”

“After confronting some different perceptions with what happened in the Diocese of Mar del Plata since November 2023 until now, Pope Francis asked me to resign from La Plata,” Mestre said.

Mestre said he then submitted his letter of resignation “With deep peace and complete righteousness of conscience before God for how I acted, trusting in the truth that sets us free, and with filial and theological obedience to the Holy Father.”

Without offering further details, Mestre addressed the Archdiocese of La Plata specifically, saying he has been “very happy” serving as archbishop there for the past eight and a half months, and that he enjoyed the various meetings he had with clergy, religious, seminarians, and laypeople.

“It pains me to leave, it pains me to leave you as pastor of this particular church that pilgrims in La Plata, but I am certain that God has much better plans that today I can’t finish deciphering,” he said, and prayed for the community amid “this new phase in waiting for the new pastor that the Lord will give through the beloved Pope Francis.”

After Monday’s announcement of Mestre’s resignation, Father Alberto Bochatey, who was tapped as administrator of La Plata, issued a statement saying the community is experiencing “a deeply theological and ecclesial moment.”

“We must respond with hope and deep love of God, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit,” he said, saying God will “give us his gifts, he will give us light.”

Bochatey pointed to the so-called gifts of the Holy Spirit, saying they are aids that help faithful to discern “the false and the true, the superfluous from the transcendental, selfishness and love. They allow us to listen to the Father in the things that happen to us and, in the truth, which is his only way.”

He thanked Pope Francis for entrusting him with administration of the archdiocese, and stressed the importance of being “united and serene, as pastors and laity…fulfilling our objectives without stopping the march.”

“There is a lot to do. The poor want to listen to our works, and not our words,” he said, and expressed his availability to all members of the archdiocese.

Priest Sentenced to Eight Years for Abusing a 13-Year-Old Boy

The verdict has become final by which the Naples Court of Appeal on June 20, 2023, sentenced Don Livio Graziano to eight years in prison. 

Don Livio Graziano, a priest of the Aversa diocese accused of repeatedly abusing a 13-year-old boy (now 15) entrusted to him by the parents. 

This was announced in a statement by the 'Rete l'abuso', an Italian association of survivors of sexual abuse by the clergy. 

The sentence became definitive after the decision adopted by the Court of Cassation. Don Livio Graziano also held the position - according to the association's note - of director of 'Effata Apriti' and a series of other psychotherapeutic communities for minors. 

It was the father of the boy, a victim of molestation (a case for which the conviction of a priest, Don Livio Graziano, to 8 years in prison was confirmed in the Court of Cassation), who noticed a sudden change in his son after being entrusted to the community - a note from the L'Abuso network reports - and discovered what was happening during a check of the cell phone. 

Reading the messages, he immediately became suspicious and by asking the boy some questions, he immediately discovered the truth. At the time of the arrest, the police found in the priest's room, among other things, a significant amount of cash, 107,000 euros. 

Placed under house arrest, the priest, who was not prohibited from using the internet, continued to molest the 13-year-old. 

The father, accompanied by the president of the Rete L'abuso, asked for an intervention from the priest's superiors. 

Today the final verdict where the Court of Cassation, reaffirming the appeal conviction to eight years in prison, rejected the priest's defenders' appeal as inadmissible. 

The thirteen-year-old and his parents, who constituted themselves as civil parties, are defended by the lawyer of the Rete L'Abuso, Mario Caligiuri of the Rome bar, while the priest by the lawyers Carlo Di Casola and Giampiero De Cicco. 

The family - the note concludes - expressed 'joy for this hard-won sentence that has rendered them the justice that the Church did not'.

Spain’s Supreme Court sentences priest from Toledo to eight years in jail for abusing a minor and ‘carrying out exorcisms’

THE Spanish Supreme Court has sentenced a priest from Toledo to eight years in jail, after he was found guilty of abusing a minor and even ‘carrying out exorcisms’ on her. 

Jose Luis Galan has also been ordered to pay €100,000 in compensation to his victim, who suffered the abuse while at a school in Toledo province between 2011 and 2014. 

The accusations were uncovered by Spanish daily El Pais, which began an investigation back in 2018 into abuses in the Catholic Church and has been compiling databases of reported cases both in Spain and in Latin America.

The ruling comes a full seven years after the victim, who is now an adult, first reported the abuse after a series of suicide attempts and more than a hundred psychological reports that reflected the damage she had suffered, according to the newspaper. 

The priest was found not guilty by the Roman Rota, the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church.

The abuse began when Galan won the confidence of the victim, during her parents’ divorce. What the young woman did not know, however, was that the priest had started a relationship with her mother. 

Galan then began to sexually abuse the youngster, telling her that ‘this is what God wants’, and also threatening her.

The priest, meanwhile, claimed in his defence during trial that the victim had been motivated by jealousy toward her mother. 

Galan was also found to have carried out three ‘exorcisms’ on the young girl in a bid to ‘cure’ the eating disorder that she was suffering during this period of her life. 

After she took her case to the courts, the victim wrote to Pope Francis, telling her story and attaching a copy of the lawsuit. At that point, the archbishopric of Toledo opened an internal investigation into the priest. 

He was, however, tried by the Roman Rota, the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church, and found not guilty.

Priest says Eurovision star Bambie Thug 'hasn't a bull's clue' and 'real witches would bully them'

An Irish priest has said Bambie Thug was “an excellent choice” for the Eurovision Song Contest, and “a better ambassador for modern Ireland could hardly have been found”.

This does not appear to have been intended as a compliment, however, as Fr Brendan Kilcoyne added that neither the non-binary performer nor modern Ireland had “a bull’s clue” where they’re going.

He said Bambie Thug was a “perfect” representative for the competition because the singer “sums up modern Ireland in its tragedy”.

“Modern Ireland hasn’t a bull’s clue where it’s going; Miss Thug hasn’t a bull’s clue where she’s going,” said Fr Kilcoyne, who is a parish priest in Balla, Co Mayo.

“Modern Ireland has lost its faith and found superstition; La Thug has lost her faith and found superstition. Modern Ireland is technically very accomplished… Miss Thug is technically accomplished and very good at what she does.

“So you have a very high level of technical accomplishment and absolutely no clue, no sense of long-term coordinates, no map for the future except for some sort of vague, half-digested notion of witchcraft,” he added. "I mean, come on, Bambie. Real witches would bully you.”

The priest made the comments on a video posted on YouTube as part of his own podcast series called The Brendan Option.

Addressing the fact that he was ‘misgendering’ the non-binary artist throughout the video, Fr Kilcoyne said: “Am I misgendering? Isn’t that bold? You’re not allowed to do that anymore. I suppose I’ll be banned.” He said Bambie Thug “seems actually a lovely person in other ways”, adding: “It’s a pity.”

“Strictly speaking, I should be referring to Miss Thug as ‘them’ and ‘they’... Our name is legion, for we are many,” he said, quoting the response of a man possessed by spirits in the Bible when asked his name by Jesus Christ.

“Listen to me, there has to be a better way than this. But, given that this is where we are, I don’t see any reason to complain about Bambie Thug or that act. I think it was a perfect representation for modern Ireland.

“Maybe even an act like Bambie Thug, maybe even that indicates some residual unwillingness to let go of the spiritual quest… there is good here. It’s quite convincingly disguised, but there is good here,” he added.

“The true face of modern Ireland was shown to the world. I think that’s the best thing to come out of this. Míle buíochas, a Bhambie. Go raibh míle maith agaibh – plural.”

Pope apologizes after being quoted using vulgar term about gay men in talk about ban on gay priests

Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar and derogatory term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.

The ruckus that ensued underscored how the church’s official teaching about homosexuality often bumps up against the unacknowledged reality that there are plenty of gay men in the priesthood, and plenty of LGBTQ+ Catholics who want to be fully part of the life and sacraments of the church.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis’ comments, which were delivered behind closed doors to Italian bishops on May 20.

Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term “faggotness” while speaking in Italian during the encounter. He had used the term in reaffirming the Vatican’s ban on allowing gay men to enter seminaries and be ordained priests.

Bruni said Francis was aware of the reports and recalled that the Argentine pope, who has made outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics a hallmark of his papacy, has long insisted there was “room for everyone” in the Catholic Church.

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

With the statement, Bruni carefully avoided an outright confirmation that the pope had indeed used the term, in keeping with the Vatican’s tradition of not revealing what the pope says behind closed doors. But Bruni also didn’t deny that Francis had said it.

And for those who have long advocated for greater inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ Catholics, the issue was bigger than the word itself.

“More than the offensive slur uttered by the pope, what is damaging is the institutional church’s insistence on ‘banning’ gay men from the priesthood as if we all do not know (and minister alongside) many, many gifted, celibate, gay priests,” noted Natalia Imperatori-Lee, chair of the religious studies department at Manhattan College.

“The LGBTQ community seems to be a constant target of offhand, off the cuff ‘mistakes’ from people in the Vatican, including the pope, who should know better,” she added.

Francis was addressing an assembly of the Italian bishops conference, which recently approved a new document outlining training for Italian seminarians. The document, which hasn’t been published pending review by the Holy See, reportedly sought to open some wiggle room in the Vatican’s absolute ban on gay priests by introducing the issue of celibacy as the primary requirement for priests, gay or straight.

The Vatican ban was articulated in a 2005 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, and later repeated in a subsequent document in 2016, which said the church cannot admit to seminaries or ordain men who “practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture.”

The position has long been criticized as homophobic and hypocritical for an institution that certainly counts gay priests in its ranks. The late psychotherapist Richard Sipe, a onetime Benedictine monk who taught in U.S. seminaries, estimated in the early 2000s that as many as 30% of the U.S. clergy was homosexually oriented.

The late Rev. Donald Cozzens, a seminary rector, said the percentage was even higher, and asserted in his book “The Changing Face of The Priesthood” that the U.S. priesthood was increasingly becoming a gay profession since so many heterosexual men had left the priesthood to marry and have families.

Priests in the Latin rite Catholic Church cannot marry, while those in eastern rite churches may. Church teaching holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect but that homosexual activity is “intrinsically disordered.”

Francis strongly reaffirmed the Vatican ban on gay priests in his May 20 meeting with the Italian bishops, joking that “there is already an air of faggotness” in seminaries, the Italian media reported, after initial reporting from gossip site Dagospia.

Italian is not Francis’ mother tongue language, and the Argentine pope has made linguistic gaffes in the past that raised eyebrows. The 87-year-old Argentine pope often speaks informally, jokes using slang and even curses in private.

He has been known for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, however, starting from his famous “Who am I to judge ” comment in 2013 about a priest who purportedly had a gay lover in his past. He has ministered to transgender Catholics, allowed priests to bless same-sex couples and called for an end to anti-gay legislation, saying in a 2023 interview with The Associated Press that “ Being homosexual is not a crime. ”

However, he has occasionally offended LGBTQ+ people and their advocates, including in that same interview where he implied that while homosexuality wasn’t a crime, it was a sin. He later clarified that he was referring to sexual activity, and that any sex outside marriage between a man and a woman was sinful in the eyes of the church.

And most recently, he signed off on a Vatican document asserting that gender-affirming surgery was a grave violation of human dignity.

New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, welcomed Francis’ apology Tuesday and said it confirmed that the “use of the slur was a careless colloquialism.” But the group’s director Francis DeBernardo questioned the underlying content of the pope’s comments and the overall ban on gays in the priesthood.

“Without a clarification, his words will be interpreted as a blanket ban on accepting any gay man to a seminary,” DeBernardo said in a release, asking for a clearer statement on Francis’ views about gay priests “so many of whom faithfully serve the people of God each day.”

Andrea Rubera, a spokesperson for Paths of Hope, an Italian association of LGBTQ+ Christians, said he was incredulous when he first read about the pope’s comments, and then sad when no denial came from the Vatican. It showed, he said, that the pope and the Vatican still have a “limited view” of the reality of LGBTQ+ people.

“We hope, once again, that the time will come to undertake a discussion in the church toward a deepening of the LGBT issue, especially from the experience of the people themselves,” he said.

NI road crash victim was former priest jailed for ‘evil and sick’ child sex abuse

The family of one of the victims of a former priest who was once jailed for “evil” child sex offences has said his death in a car crash over the weekend has brought some “closure”.

Gerard McQuillan, who was aged in his 60s, died following the two-vehicle collision near Poyntzpass in Co Armagh.

Police received a report of the crash on the Newry Road shortly after 6.30pm on Friday.

Ambulance and fire crews also attended the scene where McQuillan, who was driving a Peugeot 207, had been killed.

McQuillan, who was originally from the Portadown area, was jailed for 12 years in 2004 after admitted to 40 sex charges involving five young victims between December 1986 and January 1993.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for life. 

A former school chaplain, he had also previously served as a priest in Armagh city for several years before being jailed for child sex convictions.

In 2002, the priest admitted what he had done to the mother of one victim, a court was told, after he had been approached

McQuillan faced three charges of indecent assault involving one victim when the case came to court in March 2003, but the publicity over the prosecution led to a second victim, then two more, also coming forward.

McQuillan confessed to sexually abusing a fifth victim on the advice of his lawyers,

McQuillan revealed in the last of his police confessions, that while he never used violence, that did not make what he did right.

He went on to describe himself as “cunning and sneaky” and said he had been “behaving crazy”, before telling police: “It was still very evil the way I operated and what I did, and was quite sick.”

Describing it as “a sad case of a man who has probably done much good in the community”, a judge at the time: “It is a difficult case and these are serious offences which rightly alarm and disturb the public.”

The judge took into consideration a number of aggravating factors, including his “position of power and authority, the youth of his victims and their deliberate seduction and corruption, the length of the period of abuse, the betrayal of the trust of the parents and the effect on his victims’ health”.

His defence QC apologised unreservedly on behalf of McQuillan at the time, and after he was sentenced, Sean Brady, then Archbishop of Armagh, spoke of his “deep sorrow” at McQuillan’s crimes.

“I acknowledge that serious wrong was done to the victims of his offences, and I deeply regret the terrible pain which they and their families have suffered,” he said in 2004.

“I am truly sorry that their trust and friendship have been so shamefully betrayed.

“I also regret, very much, the distress caused to the parishioners and to Fr McQuillan’s fellow priests. They too feel shocked and saddened.”

It is understood that McQuillan, who was later kicked out of the Church, had spent time in the Republic following his release from prison.

The family of one of his victims said his death had brought some “closure” although they were shocked and disturbed to learn he had been back in the Co Armagh area when he died.