Pope Francis has apologised after reports surfaced that he used 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”.

The comment reportedly came at an Italian Bishops’ Conference.

While the meeting was private, the alleged comment has been widely reported, first by Italian tabloid website Dagospia, and soon confirmed by other Italian news agencies.