The Pope has again used a highly derogatory term against gay people, for which he apologised last month, the ANSA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Italian media credited the pope with using the word “frosciagne,” a vulgar Italian word that roughly translates to “faggotness,” during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops on May 20.

According to ANSA, Francis repeated the phrase during a meeting with Roman priests on Tuesday, saying there is a “homosexual atmosphere in the Vatican” and that it is better not to allow young men with homosexual tendencies into the seminary.

Asked about the latest report, the Vatican press office referred to a statement issued regarding a meeting with priests on Tuesday, in which the pope reiterated the need to welcome gay people into the church and to exercise caution regarding their becoming seminarians.

Following the initial report of the use of the term, the Corriere della Sera newspaper quoted unnamed bishops present in the room as saying the pope, being an Argentinian, may not have understood that the Italian term he used was offensive.

Francis, 87, is credited with significant initiatives toward the LGBT community during his 11-year papacy. Some Vatican observers say his recent missteps undermine his authority and raise questions about his beliefs and the path of reform he has in mind for the church.