He apologizes to anyone who felt offended by this, the Vatican stated on May 28, according to Reuters, noting that it is extremely rare for a pope to issue a public apology.

"The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms and apologizes to those who were offended by the use of a term pointed out by others", Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in an email statement.

Italian media reported on May 27 that Pope Francis used the Italian term "frociaggine", which translates to "faggotry", while telling Italian bishops that he still opposes admitting gay people to the priesthood.

The Italian political gossip site Dagospia was the first to report on the alleged incident, which is said to have occurred on May 20, when the Pope met with Italian bishops behind closed doors.

The Corriere della Sera newspaper cited anonymous bishops who were present, suggesting that the Pope, as an Argentine, might not have realized that the Italian term he used was offensive.

Matteo Bruni stated that Francis is aware of the various press reports that have emerged.

The Vatican spokesman reiterated that the Pope remains committed to a welcoming Church for all, where "no one is useless, no one is superfluous, where there is room for everyone".

However, the remark attributed to the Pope caused shock and dismay.

Marianne Duddy-Burke, head of the LGBT Catholic rights group DignityUSA, said the Pope's comments were "shocking and painful for many, especially for the countless gay priests who have faithfully and kindly served the people of God".

"Unfortunately, even if it was meant as a joke, the Pope's comment reveals the depth of anti-gay prejudice and institutional discrimination that still exists in our church", Duddy-Burke added.

Vito Mancuso, an Italian theologian and former priest, told the daily La Stampa that Francis' language is "deplorable and surprising, because it is in flagrant contradiction" with his previous messages on LGBT issues.

The Pope credited for openness toward the LGBT community

Pope Francis, 87, has been credited with substantial openness toward the LGBT community during his 11-year papacy. In 2013, at the beginning of his papacy, he made a statement that caused a stir: "If someone is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?"

Last year, he allowed priests to bless members of same-sex couples, triggering substantial conservative backlash.

In 2018, Pope Francis acknowledged that he made "serious mistakes" in handling the sexual abuse crisis in Chile, where he initially dismissed the accusations that were brought against a bishop suspected of protecting another predatory priest as slander.

"I apologize to all those I have offended and hope to do so personally in the coming weeks in the meetings I will have (with the victims)", he wrote in a letter to the Chilean bishops.