How to save the world

homosexuality

The Pope has said that "saving" humanity from homosexual

 or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the

 rainforests.

 

By Nick Allen 

Pope Benedict XVI sparked a furious reaction from other Christian 

groups as he also suggested that a blurring of the distinction between 

male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

The pontiff was delivering his end-of-year address to senior Vatican 

staff and his words were later released to the media.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that, while homosexuality is not 

sinful, homosexual acts are.

It opposes gay marriage and, in October, one leading Vatican official 

described homosexuality as "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound".

In his address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration, the 

Pope himself described behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual 

relations as "a destruction of God's work".

He said the Roman Catholic Church had a duty to "protect man from 

the destruction of himself" and urged respect for the "nature of the 

human being as man and woman."

The pontiff added: "The tropical forests do deserve our protection. 

But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less."

His remarks were immediately denounced as "totally irresponsible 

and unacceptable in any shape or form" by the Lesbian and Gay 

Christian Movement.

Its chief executive, the Rev Sharon Ferguson, said: "It is more the 

case that we need to be saved from his comments. It is comments 

like this that justify homophobic bullying that goes on in schools 

and it is comments like this 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?"