Insights and conversations pertaining to the moment

Cardinal Francis, Frozicaggine, or Are Openly Gay Men Really Close to Priests? An Apparent Papal Remorse

I know, but that term doesn’t mean that they never bungle math or lose track of where they hung their robes. The general idea or mythology of infallibility reflects a kind of papal authority and aloofness that discourages any real-time revisiting of false steps.

The media attention to his offensive language could have been ignored by Francis. Popes are expected to worry about eternity not the news cycle. He would have satisfied some of his sternest critics by moving on. He has done too much outreach to L.G.B.T.Q. people and been too attentive to them.

In a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops last week, Francis reportedly responded to a question about whether openly gay men should be admitted to seminaries by saying that those training grounds for future priests were already too crowded with “frociaggine,” a crude Italian slur.

I’m disappointed that he used it, contradicting past statements of his that urged respect for gay people and his decision last year to allow priests to bless same-sex couples. I don’t know if he was trying to curry favor with the conservatives or if he was actually revealing his own bigotry.

Damage control in the prior era and the actions of a pope wouldn’t have felt that damage had been done as quickly as it was done

I know that a pope in the prior era wouldn’t have done damage control so quickly. Another pope in a prior era mightn’t have felt that any damage was done.