The Vatican has apologized after Pope Francis reportedly used an anti-gay slur in a closed-door meeting, saying he did not mean to "offend or express himself in homophobic terms."
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni referred to reports about the pope's use of the offensive slang to describe gay men, saying in a statement Tuesday that Pope Francis "extends his apologies to those who felt offended" by the reported use of the word.
"As he has said on several occasions, ‘In the Church there is room for everyone, everyone! No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone,’" Bruni said.
Italian media first reported that the pope, who is Argentinian and speaks Italian as a second language, used the offensive term in an annual meeting with bishops last week while describing his opposition to admitting openly gay men into seminaries. Local media described several bishops as being in "shock" by his reported use of the slur, and some speculated that it might not have been deliberate or malicious, according to NBC News.
The 87-year-old pope is known for his marginally inclusive approach to homosexuality relative to the Catholic Church's historically discriminative view of LGBTQ people.
The church's overall views on sexuality and gender identity remain conservative, however. Last year, he said priests can bless some same-sex couples but reaffirmed the church's ban on same-sex marriages. He also approved a document last month that criticized the criminalization of homosexuality, while characterizing gender fluidity, gender transition surgery and surrogacy as violations of human dignity.