LEADING Catholic Church members have hit back at comments by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore that the Pope’s views on gay rights help fuel homophobia. The Irish Bishops’ Conference has branded the Labour leader’s remarks as "offensive".
The row was sparked after Mr Gilmore called for the Pope to "temper" his remarks on gays and lesbians, stating: "We have many examples of where there is not only discrimination against gay people but there has been nasty homophobic bullying and assaults on gay people and I think opinions like that give comfort to that."
An Irish Bishops’ Conference statement said that Mr Gilmore had misrepresented the Pope’s views on homosexuality. "Mr Gilmore’s comments are also highly offensive to Catholics and anyone with an interest in the truth.
"The truth is that the Catholic Church teaches and Pope Benedict has consistently affirmed that ‘men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided’."
A speech given by the Pope in December 2008 – which was widely interpreted as meaning the pontiff believed homosexuality was as big a threat as the destruction of the rain forests – has been misunderstood, the conference stated.
"Pope Benedict... in fact said ‘that the Church has a responsibility towards creation and must also publicly assert this... In so doing, she must not only defend earth, water and air as gifts of creation belonging to all. She must also protect man from self destruction. If the Church speaks of the nature of the human being as man and woman and demands that this order of creation be respected this is not some antiquated metaphysics’," the conference said.
Gay and human rights organisations have condemned the Pope’s outspoken stance on homosexuality and civil partnerships in the past, claiming they help reinforce a culture of intolerance.