The Pope doesn’t just have a vulgar language problem

The Pope is only infallible when he speaks ‘ex cathedra’ – i.e. when pronouncing on doctrinal matters of faith as Pontifex Maximus. So, last week, when Francis privately told a gathering of bishops that he opposed the ordination of homosexual priests because there was too much ‘frociaggine’ – or ‘faggotry’ – in the priesthood already, he was not speaking formally as the Vicar of Christ. Francis’s remarks inevitably caused anger within the LGBQT communities. Fabrizio Marrazzo, leader of the Italian Gay party, accused the Pope of ‘backsliding on gay rights’.

The Vatican has duly apologised in a statement. It said: ‘The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and he extends his apologies to those who felt offended by the use of a term, reported by others.’

You can almost hear the curial anxiety in that quote.