Pope Francis apologizes for using slur referring to gay men.

 Pope Francis has issued an apology for using a derogatory term referring to gay men during a closed-door discussion with bishops earlier this month.
"The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms," said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. "He apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of the term."

The incident occurred during a meeting with Italian bishops at the Vatican last week, where they discussed the potential admission of gay men to Catholic seminaries in preparation for the priesthood.