Is this man any better than Iris?

[Maguire01]

Seriously - how out of touch can he be?

Pope attacks blurring of gender 

Pope Benedict has called for "an ecology of the human being"

Pope Benedict XVI has said that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

He explained that defending God's creation was not limited to saving the environment, but also about protecting man from self-destruction.

The Pope was delivering his end-of-year address to senior Vatican staff.

His words, later released to the media, emphasised his rejection of gender theory.

Speaking on Monday, Pope Benedict XVI warned that gender theory blurred the distinction between male and female and could thus lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.

Gender theory

Gender theory explores sexual orientation, the roles assigned by society to individuals according to their gender, and how people perceive their biological identity.   Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the human being ... does not deserve it less

Gay and transsexual groups, particularly in the United States, promote it as a key to understanding and tolerance, but the Pope disagreed.

When the Roman Catholic Church defends God's Creation, "it does not only defend the earth, water and the air... but (it) also protects man from his own destruction," he said.

"Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the human being ... does not deserve it less," the pontiff said.

It is not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he told scores of prelates gathered in the Vatican's sumptuous Clementine Hall.

"We need something like human ecology, meant in the right way."

The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage. It teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are.

Rev Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of Britain's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, described the Pope's remarks as "totally irresponsible and unacceptable".

"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," she said.

'Rock festival'

The pope uses his traditional end-of-year speech to offer his Christmas greetings and say a few words about what he considers the important issues of the day.

This year, Pope Benedict also deplored the tendency to depict the Catholic church's World Youth Day, which he attended in Sydney earlier this year, as mere spectacle.

He stressed that the event should not be considered a "variant of modern youth culture, as a kind of ecclesiastical rock festival with the Pope as the star," but as the fruition of a "long exterior and interior path".

[pintsofguinness]

Read that earlier, ridiculous. 

[5 Sams]

...and my ma wonders why I dont go to mass

[magickingdom]

on newstalk today some bishop (cant remember which one) disputed the Pope said the above. lost in translation maybe? nell mccaffery whom i have long admired made a pure fool out of herself arguing with him...

[Donagh]

Source Maguire01? I don't see too many direct quotes...

[StGallsGAA]

Makes me embarrassed that people in position of influence still come out with this nonsense.

Read how many words are directly attributed to the Pope.  The rest is the work of fiction by a journalist. 

I have no doubt that the pope opposes homosexuality but to attribute this article to him is nonsense.

[ONeill]

Can't really see where the outcry is Ziggy. What has the Pope said? Can't believe you're attacking the Holy Father like this, at Christmas.

[Donagh]

Makes me embarrassed that people in position of influence still come out with this nonsense.

Why would you be embarrassed? Strip away the shite and look at what he said:

"an ecology of the human being"

"self-destruction"
"it does not only defend the earth, water and the air... but (it) also protects man from his own destruction,"

"Rainforests deserve, yes, our protection, but the human being ... does not deserve it less,"

"We need something like human ecology, meant in the right way."

Even a non-believing commie like me couldn't find much there to get into a strop about.

[armaghniac]

While this may or may not be a misquote, it relates to religious teaching. A person in a secular job like a government has certain obligations that someone expressing a religious view does not.

[Gnevin]

Man live is a house filled with gold and priceless art, tells the world to help the poor. Man preaches tolerance and gay bashes. Nothing like the one holy catholic and hypercritical  church .

[ONeill]

Man live is a house filled with gold and priceless art, tells the world to help the poor. Man preaches tolerance and gay bashes. Nothing like the one holy catholic and hypercritical  church .

Eh?

[Tony Baloney]

An hour early? I thought you'd be too old to be an altar boy.

[Maguire01]

Source Maguire01? I don't see too many direct quotes...

It has been widely reported:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7796663.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/3902931/Pope-Saving-world-from-homosexuality-like-saving-rainforests.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/23/pope-gender-sexuality
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HWOWG_K1eg4
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pWDrGga_F8o
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/gays-furious-at-popes-plea-to-save-humanity-1584805.html

[nrico2006]

I have read a bit about it and also have failed to see the Pope quoted on the accusations - I agree with what Donagh is saying.

But when you see what is happening in the world of late then you would have to think abit about whats happening, the like of the women who is a man now and had a child - so much for the Italian MP who is also transgender and her statement of 'I'm someone who was born as male and has a spiritual and female soul, and it's contradictory that a Pope just thinks of people just made as flesh and not made of a spiritual aspect'.  If this is the case fine, but there is too many people who are messing about with natures basics to satisfy their curiosities!

[Maguire01]

If this is the case fine, but there is too many people who are messing about with natures basics to satisfy their curiosities!

Yes, imagine all these people having gender realignment out of curiosity.