“His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” the statement reads.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama issued an apology Monday after a video circulated online showing the spiritual leader of Tibet kissing a boy on the lips and telling him to suck his tongue at a public event earlier this year, The New York Times reports.

“His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” the statement posted to his website reads. It continues, “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”

The video, taken in February in Dharamsala, India, shows a boy in the audience of the public event asking the Dalai Lama if he can hug him. The Dalai Lama then “speaks briefly to the boy in front of an audience before kissing him and then pulling him close to his outstretched tongue,” instructing the boy to “suck my tongue,” The New York Times reports.

The video received backlash online, which was followed by Monday’s apology. Many people criticized the Dalai Lama’s exchange with the child as inappropriate while others explained it as an ill-advised attempt at humor.

This is not the first time the Dalai Lama has faced criticism for awkward or inappropriate attempts at humor. In 2015 he was criticized for joking that he might have to reincarnate as an attractive woman “or nobody will pay much attention.” He later apologized for the remark.