Pope Francis allegedly tells group of priests ‘gossip is a

Pontiff’s alleged remarks in closed-door meeting come two days after apology for using homophobic slur

Pope Francis is alleged to have told a group of young priests that “gossip is a women’s thing”, two days after he apologised for using a homophobic slur.

The remark was allegedly made during a closed-door meeting on Thursday with a group of newly ordained priests in Rome, according to a story published on Il Silere Non Possum, a website dedicated to Vatican news, and then reported by several mainstream Italian newspapers and news agencies.