A day after news broke that Pope Francis had allegedly used a derogatory word about gay men applying to seminaries in a closed-door conversation with Italian bishops, the Vatican has issued an official response:

“Pope Francis is aware of articles that recently came out about a conversation, behind closed doors,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. “The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others.”

For more on this story, click the links below:

Pope Francis says Italian seminaries should reject gay applicants

Vatican issues apology after Pope Francis’ use of a homophobic slur

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Update: Pope Francis apologizes for using anti-gay slur