Story highlights Pope blames textbooks supplied by "persons and institutions who donate money"

An LGBT advocacy group, criticizes the Pope's remarks

Rome (CNN) Pope Francis has denounced the teaching of gender identity to young children in schools, calling it terrible.

"Today, in schools they are teaching this to children -- to children! -- that everyone can choose their gender," he said in a closed-door meeting to Polish priests and bishops in Krakow last Wednesday.

The Pope blamed textbooks supplied by "persons and institutions who donate money," for spreading gender theory, calling it "ideological colonization, supported by very influential countries. This is terrible," he said.

Pope Francis said he had spoken with Pope Benedict about it, who told him, "This is the age of sin against God the Creator!"

Pope Francis has previously spoken against gender theory saying, "Getting rid of the problem is not the solution."

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