I en tale til kurien sa pave Benedikt 16. at kirken hadde plikt til å forsvare mennesket mot å ødelegge seg selv. Han sa det var viktig å bevare og beskytte livet som mann og kvinne. Paven nevnte ikke homoseksuelle, men det var liten tvil om at han forsvarte samlivet mellom mann og kvinne.

In his address to the Curia, the Vatican’s administration body at Clementine Hall, the Pope said that behaviour beyond traditional man and woman relations was a «destruction of God’s work». The Pope, without referring to homosexuality or same sex relationships, added: «The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less. It’s not simply an outdated metaphysics if the Church speaks of the nature of the human person as man and woman, and asks that this order of creation be respected.»

Den konservative fløy av den anglikanske kirke applauderte pavens uttalelse. Den anglikanske kirke er splittet i synet på homofili.

Den katolske godtar homoseksuell legning, men ikke homoseksuelle handlinger.

This month the Vatican opposed a proposed UN declaration, backed by all 27 European Union states, calling for an end to the practice of criminalising and punishing people for their sexual orientation.

Mike Egan, chairman of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: «It’s all part of a fundamental mistake, to say that there’s something abnormal about homosexuality. It’s like being left-handed. There are much greater threats to marriage and family life.

Pope’s remarks on sexuality ‘will widen Anglican rift’