Pope Francis. (Alessandra Benedetti - Corbis/Corbis)

Pope Francis has condemned the persecution of gay people and compared the “hatred” to “Nazism” during a speech at the World Congress of the International Association of Penal Law (AIDP).

The Pope gave a lengthy speech during the three-day conference, which brings together specialists on criminal law from around the world.

According to Reuters, he said: “It is not coincidental that at times there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism. And I must confess to you that when I hear a speech [by] someone responsible for order or for a government, I think of speeches by Hitler in 1934, 1936,” he said, departing from his prepared address.

“With the persecution of Jews, gypsies, and people with homosexual tendencies, today these actions are typical [and] represent ‘par excellence’ a culture of waste and hate. That is what was done in those days and today it is happening again.”

“It is no coincidence that in these times, emblems and actions typical of Nazism reappear, which, with its persecutions against Jews, gypsies and people of homosexual orientation, represents the negative model par excellence of a culture of waste and hatred.” – Pope Francis pic.twitter.com/CnCXwuTi6K — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) November 15, 2019

“Jews, gypsies and people of homosexual orientation”, as well as other categories of people like communists and the mentally ill, were persecuted and killed in concentration camps in Nazi Germany starting in 1933 through the end of World War II.

It is estimated that the Nazis and their collaborators murdered around six million Jewish people, and between 5,000 and 15,000 LGBT+ people. Gay men were also used in medical experiments but the Nazis to try to find a “cure” for homosexuality.

The Pope’s comments addressing the persecution of gay people come the same week that he met with Jayne Ozanne, a British evangelical Anglican, who said the Pope was “concerned” about conversion therapy.

Ozanne presented Pope Francis with a study by her foundation on the effects of traumatising conversion therapy, and she said he responded by taking her hands and saying: “Please pray for me as I pray for you.”

According to the TV station Catholic Sat, he also addressed the climate crisis in his speech to the AIDP and said that he wants to add “ecological sins against our common home” to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This is likely what would be added to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, updating paragraphs 340 to 344, as Pope Francis announces that "ecological sins against our common home" will be added to the Catechism. https://t.co/nIL3IfuZxI — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) November 15, 2019

Pope Francis said: “The Synod Fathers proposed to define ecological sin as an action or omission against God, the community and the environment.

“It is a sin against future generations and is manifested in acts and habits of pollution and destruction of the harmony of the environment.”