Pope accused of spreading fear about homosexuals



Controversial: Pope Benedict XVI has been accused of being 'obsessed' with homosexuality

Pope Benedict was accused of stoking homophobia last night after he said saving humanity from homosexuality was as important as saving the rainforests.



Italian gay rights group Archigay said the 82-year-old Pope was 'obsessed' with homosexuality, 'like many geriatrics', and criticised him for not offering people spiritual help during the economic crisis instead.



In Britain, the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney and president of Anglican movement Inclusive Church, 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.'



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 added: 'It is comments like that that justify homophobic bullying that goes on in schools and it is comments like that that justify gay bashing.



'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 criticisms came after Benedict's Christmas speech in which he described homosexual relationships as the 'destruction of God's work'.



He told an audience of cardinals, bishops, archbishops, priests and worshippers that the failure to respect the 'order of creation' was a form of 'auto destruction of mankind'.



The German-born Pope has been dubbed 'God's rottweiler' for his ultra conservative stance on homosexuality.

