Pope Francis Repeats Gay Slur, Already Apologized For Same Thing

Pope Francis has yet again used a disparaging slur against gay people behind closed Vatican doors -- less than a month after apologizing for doing the same thing.

According to ANSA -- the leading news agency in Italy -- the pontiff reiterated the vulgar term while speaking to Roman priests Tuesday ... stating, "There is an air of fa****ness in the Vatican," as he expressed it'd be better for young gay men to steer clear of seminaries.

No doubt, it's all a bit disappointing -- and with no repeat apology as of yet, it'll be interesting to see how this situation is handled moving forward.

For now, when asked about Tuesday's meeting, the Vatican's press office referred to a statement that highlights the Pope's reiteration of the importance of welcoming gay people into the Church ... while also emphasizing caution regarding their admission into seminaries.

As we reported ... the Pope referenced the gay slur behind closed Vatican doors on May 20. Unnamed bishops who were present reportedly said Francis used it "jokingly" ... but still, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued an apology of sorts.

He said, "The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term that was reported by others." Even this time around, it's unclear if the Pope realizes he's using a term that's offensive ... in Italian, the word is "frociaggine" -- but Frank isn't Italian, he's Argentinian.

So ... there might be a miscommunication here. Interestingly, the Pope's public stance is there's room for everyone in the Catholic Church -- including the LGBT crowd -- so his recent missteps have raised concerns.