Pope Francis has apologised following reports that he used extremely derogatory language towards gay men.

A statement from the Vatican said the Pope did not mean to offend anyone and apologised to those who were "hurt by the use of a word".

At the Italian Bishops' Conference, the pope reportedly said gay men should not be allowed to train for the priesthood, adding there was already an air of frociaggine, which translates as a highly offensive slur.

This meeting was in private, but has been widely reported.

Pope Francis apologized on Tuesday after he reportedly used a homophobic slur while reiterating his opposition to gay people becoming priests during a private discussion on the matter with bishops last week.

“There is already too much frociaggine” in seminaries, Francis has been quoted as saying, using an Italian word that roughly translates to “faggotry.”

Catholics in the United States have swung dramatically against President Biden in recent years, now boasting a significant statistical break towards his GOP challenger.

Pew Research released on Apr. 30 a report exploring support for presidential candidates sorted by religious affiliation.

The poll found that 55% of Catholics support or lean towards supporting former President Donald Trump in a head-to-head against Biden.

The Vatican has declared that transgender people who undergo surgery to change their bodies are violating God's plan for human life.

On Monday, the Vatican's doctrine office issued "Infinite Dignity," a 20-page declaration that has been in the works for five years. It was approved on March 25 by Pope Francis, who ordered its publication this week. The document states that God created man and woman as biologically different beings, and that people should not try to alter that plan or "make oneself God."

The Vatican declared Monday that transgender surgeries, surrogacy, and gender theory are threats to human dignity, breaking with the progressive approach to social issues that Pope Francis has adopted in recent years.

In a 20-page document titled “Infinite Dignity,” the Vatican argues these practices are comparable to euthanasia or abortion as violations of God’s plan for human life. The declaration, five years in the making, was signed and approved by Pope Francis, who ordered it to be written and published.

Washington, D.C., Cardinal Wilton Gregory slammed President Joe Biden on Sunday for being a “cafeteria Catholic,’’ picking and choosing what doctrines he wants to believe in; he cited the president’s support for “abortion rights” and transgender “visibility” as examples.

Biden, only the second Catholic president, following John F. Kennedy, has actively campaigned for expanded abortion rights, gay marriage, and “gender-affirming care,” all of which his Church opposes.