VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has made what the Italian press are calling a second blunder this week, allegedly suggesting that “gossip is women’s stuff, we wear the trousers, we must say things,” as reported by the site Silere non possum. 

  The gaffe was apparently said behind closed doors in a general assembly with young Roman priests on Wednesday. This follows the apology released by the Vatican this week after the pope allegedly claimed there was “too much faggotry” in the seminaries. 

  He reiterated that in parishes and congregations, bad mouthing and gossiping should be avoided as it is “women’s stuff”. The phrase “we wear the trousers, we must say things,” has been used in the past by the pope in a 2023 audience, where he invited the group to “say things face to face” instead of speaking ill of others. 

  This is not Francis’ first slip up when speaking of women, with the pope previously telling a group of nuns not be “spinsters.” 

  The same site, Silere non possum, has also claimed that the pope has suggested there are “corruption problems” within the Dicocese of Rome, when speaking to a young minister during the private assembly. “What we have in the Diocese are corruption problems, I am talking frankly. Corruption problems.   am looking to put in place solutions for this with the auxiliary bishops, to resolve it. Last week I received information: this is problematic, that is problematic. It must be spoken about.” 

lw