ROME — Pope Francis admonished a group of young priests from Rome this week, chastising them for gossiping about him and likening their behavior to that of women.
“I am aware that there are parishes where this type of gossip takes place. Gossip does no good. Gossip is for women,” he remarked.
Local media connected the pope’s comments, viewed by some as sexist and anti-women, with anti-homosexual remarks earlier this week that upset many LGBTQ+ individuals and progressives.
On Tuesday, the Vatican was forced to issue an apology for statements made by the pope last week during a meeting with over 200 Italian bishops. During the meeting, he reiterated the Church’s prohibition on admitting gays to the seminary, adding that there was already too much “effeminacy” in the Church.
The bishops should “remove all the gays [checche] from the seminary, even those who are only partially inclined,” the pope said on that occasion.
The editors of the Milan-based women’s magazine, Donna Moderna, labelled the comments about women and gossip as “the pope’s latest blunder.”
“What is happening in the Vatican?” the editors queried in apparent astonishment.
