Pope Francis calls for crackdown on gay candidates in seminaries

Pope Francis categorically spoke out against the presence of homosexuals in seminaries. These comments were made during a closed meeting with Italian bishops. The Pope surprised them by using an exceptionally harsh term to refer to gays, according to the Italian portal Dagospia.

Addressing about 200 bishops from the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Pope called for greater scrutiny in accepting candidates to the seminary and stated that there is too much "gayness".

According to the Italian portal, the word he used is "frociaggine", which is extraordinarily harsh.

Vaticanists note a radical shift from Francis's well-known statement at the beginning of his pontificate: "Who am I to judge homosexuals?" to this quoted very unfavourable assessment.

The Vatican has not yet responded to requests for an official comment or reference to the portal's information.

It is recalled that the Church has discussed the issue of more meticulous evaluation of seminary candidates, including their orientation, for years.