Pope denounced over 'absurd and irresponsible' anti-gay comments

Lesbian and gay Christians today denounced Pope Benedict's claim that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

The Pontiff said humanity needed to listen to the "language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman and that behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations was a "destruction of God's work".

He called on the Church to protect man from the "destruction of himself" saying that tropical rainforests deserved protection but man as a creature "does not deserve any less".

But the Rev Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, described his remarks as "totally irresponsible and unacceptable in any shape or form."

She said: "It is more the case that we need to be saved from his comments. It is comments like that that justify homophobic bullying that goes on in schools and it is comments like that that justify gay bashing.

"There are still so many instances of people being killed around the world, including in western society, purely and simply because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

"When you have religious leaders like that making that sort of statement then followers feel they are justified in behaving in an aggressive and violent way because they feel that they are doing God's work in ridding the world of these people."

The Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney and president of Inclusive Church, the pro-gay Anglican movement, said: "I thought the Christmas angels said 'Fear not'.

"Instead, the Pope is spreading fear that gay people somehow threaten the planet. And that's just absurd.

"As always, this sort of religious homophobia will be an alibi for all those who would do gay people harm. Can't he think of something better to say at Christmas?"

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual orientation is not a sin but homosexual acts are. It opposes civil partnerships and gay marriage.

As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pope said homosexual inclination was not a sin, but it represented a "more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil".

Earlier this month gay rights activist Peter Tatchell welcomed a leaflet from the Catholic Church in England and Wales urging greater respect towards gay people.

The leaflet advises priests and churchgoers that "baptised persons with a homosexual inclination" deserve to be welcomed and participate in their local faith community.

It pointed out that homophobic jokes can be "cruel and hurtful" and encouraged greater awareness of what local help and social services are available as well as suggesting trying "not to assume that everyone is heterosexual".

Mark Dowd, campaign strategist at Operation Noah, the Christian environmental group, who is a gay man and a former Dominican friar, said the Pope's remarks were "understandable but misguided and unfortunate".

He said he understood the Pope's vision of creation in which rainforests were protected and men and women "complement one another, reproduce and live happily ever after".

But he said: "The problem is that if you study ecology seriously as any intelligent man would do, and the Pope is a fantastically intelligent man, you realise that ecology is complex, it has all sort of weird interdependencies and it is the same with human sexuality.

"It is not a one size fits all model, there are lots of differences, so therefore I think it is really sad that these comments betray a lack of openess to the complexity of creation."

Commenting on the Pope's remarks today, Mr Tatchell said: "By choosing to highlight homosexuality instead of hunger, war and homelessness, the Pope has lost his moral bearings and sense of priorities.

"Free market capitalism, and its culture of greed and consumerism, is a far greater threat to the ecological survival of our planet than homosexuality and transsexuality."