Pope issues rare apology over reported homophobic slur

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis attends the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter Square at the Vatican, May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis, widely quoted as having used a highly derogatory word to describe the LGBT community, did not intend to use homophobic language and apologises to anyone offended by it, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

It is extremely rare for a pope to issue a public apology.